There has been a major breakthrough with the arrest of a Chinese man whom the police believe to be the kingpin in one of Namibia’s biggest rhino-horn smuggling cases.
Wang Huii was arrested on Monday at the Windhoek Country Club and has been charged with the possession and export of controlled wildlife products. He appeared in the Windhoek Regional Court in Katutura yesterday.
The 40-year-old Huii is being linked to the three Chinese men who were arrested with 14 rhino horns last year at the Hosea Kutaku International Airport.
At that time, Li Xiaoliang, Li Zhibing and Pu Xuexin were caught with 14 rhino horns worth more than N$2.3 million as well as a leopard skin valued at N$50 000 stashed in their luggage while they were on their way to Hong Kong via Johannesburg.
Last year, the three men gave evidence during their bail hearing that they would stay at the home of Huii in Otjiwarongo if they were released on bail. The bail request was denied. Their case was postponed for plea and trial until June 25.
Huii has been linked to this case and is also being investigated in connection with other poaching cases in Namibia.
Huii has apparently been travelling between China and Namibia regularly and when the investigating officers learnt that he was back in the country they tracked him down at the Country Club on Monday night where he was gambling. Huii is originally from Jang Su in China. He is currently staying in Otjiwarongo where he owns the Happy Life Import Export Company.
His case has been postponed until June 10 for the Prosecutor-General to decide on the course of the prosecution. He remains in custody.
Orben Sibeya appeared on behalf of Huii and Anthony Wilson appeared for the State.
Half a world away, a relentless and heartbreaking slaughter is driving African elephants even closer to the brink of extinction. These magnificent animals are being killed for their ivory tusks to fuel a growing illegal wildlife trade worth billions of dollars.
This brutal slaughter is taking place thousands of miles from the U.S., but the problem is closer than you think – the United States is the second largest consumer of illegal ivory in the world.
Our nation’s consumer demand is funding the illegal and vicious slaughter of African elephants.
The slaughter of elephants for ivory has reached crisis proportions in recent years. Recognizing this, President Obama issued the Executive Order to Combat Wildlife Trafficking in June 2013 followed by a National Strategy in February 2014, calling for an end to ivory trade in the U.S. But more than a year later, little progress has been made in putting that ban into effect.
Tell President Obama that he must act faster to stop this horrific slaughter and crack down on the illegal trade and sale of ivory within the United States
Poaching and illegal trade in wildlife parts has exploded in recent years. Organized bands of well-armed poachers and smugglers, often equipped with state of the art military hardware, have helped turn the international illegal wildlife trade into a global enterprise on a scale comparable to the trafficking of drugs and guns.
By one estimate, more than 100,000 elephants were killed by poachers between 2010 and 2012. That’s roughly one elephant butchered every 15 minutes.
The killing may be taking place on another continent, but by supplying these poachers with a market to sell their blood ivory the U.S. is helping to pull the fatal trigger.
As America’s leading voice for imperiled wildlife, you and I must make sure the U.S. does everything in its power to:
Halt illegal imports, exports and domestic U.S. commerce in elephant ivory;
Use the full force of the Endangered Species Act to protect elephants and other species threatened by illegal trade;
Support strengthening international and domestic law enforcement efforts to suppress illegal trafficking in imperiled wildlife;
Fight any congressional actions to relax restrictions on ivory importation, exportation and interstate commerce; and Ensure that the proper funding is given to increase the number of federal wildlife inspectors at our ports to stop the illegal trade from ever entering the United States.
President Obama has made all the right moves, but until his good intentions are translated into action the tragic loss of the world’s largest land mammal will continue unchecked.
Please join us by taking action today.
The 40-year-old Huii is being linked to the three Chinese men who were arrested with 14 rhino horns last year at the Hosea Kutaku International Airport.
At that time, Li Xiaoliang, Li Zhibing and Pu Xuexin were caught with 14 rhino horns worth more than N$2.3 million as well as a leopard skin valued at N$50 000 stashed in their luggage while they were on their way to Hong Kong via Johannesburg.
Last year, the three men gave evidence during their bail hearing that they would stay at the home of Huii in Otjiwarongo if they were released on bail. The bail request was denied. Their case was postponed for plea and trial until June 25.
Huii has been linked to this case and is also being investigated in connection with other poaching cases in Namibia.
Huii has apparently been travelling between China and Namibia regularly and when the investigating officers learnt that he was back in the country they tracked him down at the Country Club on Monday night where he was gambling. Huii is originally from Jang Su in China. He is currently staying in Otjiwarongo where he owns the Happy Life Import Export Company.
His case has been postponed until June 10 for the Prosecutor-General to decide on the course of the prosecution. He remains in custody.
Orben Sibeya appeared on behalf of Huii and Anthony Wilson appeared for the State.
This brutal slaughter is taking place thousands of miles from the U.S., but the problem is closer than you think – the United States is the second largest consumer of illegal ivory in the world.
Our nation’s consumer demand is funding the illegal and vicious slaughter of African elephants.
The slaughter of elephants for ivory has reached crisis proportions in recent years. Recognizing this, President Obama issued the Executive Order to Combat Wildlife Trafficking in June 2013 followed by a National Strategy in February 2014, calling for an end to ivory trade in the U.S. But more than a year later, little progress has been made in putting that ban into effect.
Tell President Obama that he must act faster to stop this horrific slaughter and crack down on the illegal trade and sale of ivory within the United States
Poaching and illegal trade in wildlife parts has exploded in recent years. Organized bands of well-armed poachers and smugglers, often equipped with state of the art military hardware, have helped turn the international illegal wildlife trade into a global enterprise on a scale comparable to the trafficking of drugs and guns.
By one estimate, more than 100,000 elephants were killed by poachers between 2010 and 2012. That’s roughly one elephant butchered every 15 minutes.
The killing may be taking place on another continent, but by supplying these poachers with a market to sell their blood ivory the U.S. is helping to pull the fatal trigger.
As America’s leading voice for imperiled wildlife, you and I must make sure the U.S. does everything in its power to:
Halt illegal imports, exports and domestic U.S. commerce in elephant ivory;
Use the full force of the Endangered Species Act to protect elephants and other species threatened by illegal trade;
Support strengthening international and domestic law enforcement efforts to suppress illegal trafficking in imperiled wildlife;
Fight any congressional actions to relax restrictions on ivory importation, exportation and interstate commerce; and Ensure that the proper funding is given to increase the number of federal wildlife inspectors at our ports to stop the illegal trade from ever entering the United States.
President Obama has made all the right moves, but until his good intentions are translated into action the tragic loss of the world’s largest land mammal will continue unchecked.
Please join us by taking action today.
