GANG MEMBERS SENTENCED TO COMBINED NINE LIFE TERMS AND 60 YEARS IMPRISONMENT
July 17, 2024Seun ‘Tower’ Ndlovu has joined Chippa United,Signed sealed and delivered!!
July 17, 2024
By Thabiso Nkuna
On Friday, July 11, 2024, the Skukuza Specialized Court discovered and convicted Moshe Thobela (alias TK), 33, for violating Section 57 (1) of Act 10 2004 – possession of two rhino horns. The Serious Organised Crime Investigation teams in Nelspruit and Middelburg, along with the Wildlife Trafficking Head Office, the Counter CI Head Office, the KNP Rangers, and the Pretoria DPP prosecutor, Adv. M. Mashuga, were responsible for the extensive investigation that led to the sentence.
Project: Broadbill, which sought to combat rhino trafficking, was the source of the sentence. Operation Billfish, a component of Project Broadbill, was carried out at Witbank and Hazyview on June 12, 2018. Thobela and his associates were apprehended due to their involvement in the sale and ownership of two rhino horns.
Following several court hearings, Thobela was found guilty and given the following sentence on Friday, July 11, 2024: R150 000.00, or three years in prison. Moreover deemed unsuitable to possess a weapon. Major General Gerber, the provincial head, praised the diverse team for their work and welcomed the sentencing. In closing, the provincial head urged the people to report these ruthless thieves who steal our natural fauna.