Overview

• John Hume, 83, and five co-accused appeared in the Pretoria Magistrates' Court and were granted bail, with Hume released on R100,000.
• Prosecutors say the six face 55 counts, including racketeering, fraud, theft and money laundering, and must surrender passports ahead of a Dec. 9 court date.
• Authorities allege the group obtained domestic permits under false pretenses to move horns worth about 250 million rand into illegal export channels.
• The Hawks’ Wildlife Trafficking Section led the investigation with support from the Green Scorpions and the National Prosecuting Authority, and the suspects surrendered to police.
• South Africa permits domestic horn trade but international commercial exports are banned under CITES, while demand in Vietnam and China sustains high black-market prices.