PH
A Vietnamese man has been arrested in Mozambique after four rhino horns were discovered in a suitcase he was trying to check in.
The man, 28, was attempting to board a flight from Mozambique’s capital Maputo to South Korea when the discovery was made.
But the man – who says he is a photographer based in Angola – denies he was trying to smuggle the horns to Vietnam, his final destination.
He says the suitcase was delivered to him by a stranger who had contacted him via Facebook.
In return for carrying the suitcase – said to contain clothes and shoes – the man promised him more than $800 (£575).
But Orlando Mudumane, Maputo city command’s spokesman, said the Vietnamese national had been charged with a criminal offence.
“He is now under police custody, charged with the trafficking of wildlife resources,” he added. “Certainly, he will be held responsible for this criminal act.”
Vietnam is one of the biggest markets for buyers of rhino horn in the world.
