Cape Town – The Hawks arrested three men in Boksburg on Saturday for possession and dealing in a pangolin, which is on the endangered species list.
Patrick Halawa, 61, Viller Petros Mathe, 67, and Phillip Chauke, 30, appeared at the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, police said in a statement.
“The trio was arrested on Saturday in Boksburg, following a sting operation by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation, Flying Squad and a private entity, IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group. This was after information emerged that they were looking for a buyer for a pangolin,” read the statement.
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Mathe was granted R3 000 bail, while the other two men were remanded in custody pending verification of their status in the country.
The case was postponed to October 17 for bail application.
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
