Five male suspects were arrested in the Northern Cape while harvesting protected plants worth about R2,7 million.
According to spokesperson Lt. Col. Sergio Kock, police members pounced on the suspects in a nature reserve near Nieuwoudtville on Thursday, 27 June.
The team followed up on information regarding alleged plant poaching near the town and caught the suspects while harvesting 424 endangered Clivia mirabilis plants.
The suspects are aged 21 to 30 years and are charged with illegal possession of endangered plants species and will appear in court soon.
The provincial commissioner of the Northern Cape, Lt. Gen. Koliswa Otola, commended the police members in Nieuwoudtville and the members of the nature reserve for the outstanding success.
She reiterated that the police would continue to intensify efforts to protect the fauna and flora in the province in collaboration with all inhabitants.
On the website of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (Sanbi), it is stated that the discovery of the Clivia mirabilis caused much excitement in the botanical community. This plant seems to be able to tolerate the brutal Northern Cape sun and access to this population of plants is being strictly controlled by Northern Cape Nature Conservation.
