Three suspects aged 31, 35 and 36, all from Kuruman in the Northern Cape, are expected to appear soon in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on charges related to the possession and illegal trading of an endangered species.
On Tuesday, 10 February 2026 at approximately 07:00, members of Bloemfontein Public Order Police (POP) Platoon 12, under the command of Sergeant Magano, were conducting crime prevention duties in the Mangaung area when they received intelligence-driven information. The information was provided by a member of Security Intelligence together with the Deputy Director of the Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DESTEA), Mr Leepile MacDonald Garekwe, regarding the alleged illegal trading of a pangolin.
Members followed up on information that the suspects were travelling from the Northern Cape to a well-known shop in Bloemfontein along the N8 National Road to conduct a transaction with a foreign national buyer. It was alleged that the buyer had R750 000.00 in cash for the deal.
The suspects arrived at the identified location in a white Toyota Quantum minibus. The vehicle was confiscated as it was allegedly used in the commission of a crime. Members tactically approached and apprehended the suspects. During the operation, the endangered species, a pangolin, was recovered unharmed.
Pangolins are widely regarded as the world’s most trafficked mammal. Their meat is consumed as a delicacy in some countries, while their scales are falsely believed to have medicinal properties, including treating lactation issues, arthritis and cancer, among other ailments.
The three suspects are facing charges of carrying out a restricted activity without a permit in terms of Section 57(1) of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) 10 of 2004, as well as possession of a pangolin without a permit.
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