The Hawks have arrested a 52-year-old man at a Gauteng airport just moments before he was due to board a flight to Singapore, cutting short what police described as a “family trip”.

According to Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale, the suspect is linked to a Kempton Park case involving rhino horns and predator bones. The items were discovered to have come from Hartbeesfontein in North West.

Arrest Made Minutes Before Departure

Police said the man was intercepted at the airport shortly before departure and is expected to make a brief appearance in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 25 February 2026.

The Hawks have not released the man’s name. They also have not detailed what was found in his possession at the time of the arrest.

Mogale said the investigation follows the arrests of two Nigerian nationals in December 2025. Police allege 17 of the recovered horns linked to those arrests form part of a larger batch of 98 horns reportedly stolen during a December robbery.

Police further allege the horns were taken in a staged robbery at Voi Farm in Hartbeesfontein.

They added that the owner of the rhino horns, a Vietnamese national, was not present when the robbery took place.

Vehicle Seized in Pretoria

Investigators also traced a Toyota Prado, believed to have been used by suspects, to Woodhill Golf Estate in Pretoria. Police seized the vehicle.

Acting Hawks national head Lieutenant General Patrick Mbotho said the DPCI remains committed to cracking down on wildlife trafficking and other forms of serious organised crime.