Singapore jails South African for 2 years for smuggling rhino horns valued at US$900,000

Gumede Sthembiso Joel was arrested at Singapore’s Changi airport after authorities found 20 rhino horns weighing 34.7 kilogram in his bags

A Singapore court sentenced the South African to 2 years in jail, the heaviest sentence ever handed down in the city state for smuggling wildlife parts

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The accused pleaded guilty to two charges under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act for transiting in Singapore with rhinoceros horns without a valid permit. Photo: Facebook/ NParks

Published: 5:00pm, 26 Jan 2024

A Singapore court sentenced a South African man to two years in jail on Friday for smuggling rhino horns, the heaviest sentence ever handed down in the city state for smuggling wildlife parts.

Gumede Sthembiso Joel was arrested at Singapore’s Changi airport in 2022 after authorities found 20 rhino horns weighing 34.7 kilogram in his bags.

Sniffer dogs detected the contraband in his baggage while he was travelling from South Africa to Laos through Singapore.

They were worth about S$1.2 million (US$895,000) – the city state’s largest seizure of rhino horn.

Gumede Sthembiso Joel was arrested at Singapore’s Changi airport after authorities found 20 rhino horns weighing 34.7 kilogram in his bags. Photo: Facebook/NParks

The 33-year-old was handed the sentence after pleading guilty to two charges of transiting with rhino horns without a valid permit.

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