South Africa: Brothers Caught With Elephant Tusks Worth R200,000

3 July 2025
Scrolla (Johannesburg)
By Nkhensani Mthombeni
  • Peter and Phanuel Mokgalaka were arrested in Selwane Village after trying to sell elephant tusks to undercover police officers.
  • Officers also seized a hunting rifle and ammunition during the sting operation led by the Hawks and park rangers.

Two men have been arrested for trying to sell elephant tusks worth R200,000 in Limpopo.

The suspects, brothers Peter and Phanuel Mokgalaka, were caught during a police sting in Selwane Village outside Phalaborwa on Wednesday.

The operation was led by the Hawks in Limpopo, with help from the Sani Sand Nature Reserve and the Kruger National Park's Environmental Crime Investigation unit.

Police got a tip-off that the men were selling ivory. Officers contacted them and pretended to be buyers.

The brothers agreed to meet the supposed buyers in Selwane. When they arrived, the police were waiting.

"They were found with four elephant tusks, a hunting rifle and ammunition," said Hawks spokesman Warrant Officer Luthunya Mmuroa.

The two men appeared in the Lulekani Magistrate's Court on Thursday morning. Their case has been postponed to Friday, 4 July.

Read the original article on Scrolla.

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