National Parks Board assisted South African authorities in seizure of 55.4kg of rhinoceros horns in Johannesburg, South Africa, resulting in arrest of two individuals

-        This follows NParks’ seizure of 35.7kg of rhinoceros horns and around 150kg of animal parts in Singapore on 8 November 2025

-        Singapore and NParks marked several milestones at the recent 20^th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES

-        NParks’ Centre of Wildlife Forensics identified that the animal parts seized
on 8 November 2025 came from lions and tigers

30 December 2025 – On 1 December 2025, the National Parks Board (NParks) of Singapore assisted the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in an integrated approach with other stakeholders for the seizure of a shipment containing 55.4kg of rhinoceros horns and 26.2kg of lion and tiger bones, skulls and claws in Johannesburg. The operation also resulted in the arrest of two Nigerian men.

Suspicious shipment bore similarities to one detected on 8 November 2025 at Singapore Changi Airport

On 11 November 2025, NParks was alerted to a suspicious shipment originating from South Africa, which was transiting through Singapore Changi Airport. The shipment bore similarities to a previous shipment that had been seized by NParks on 8 November 2025, which contained 35.7kg of rhinoceros horns and around 150kg of other animal parts. After examining the shipment, NParks coordinated with DPCI for its controlled return to South Africa to enable further investigation in the source country. The Commercial Affairs Department of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) is also looking into possible money laundering offences under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992.

Following trail of illegal shipment in South Africa

Following the shipment’s return to South Africa, an operation was launched on 1 December 2025 by the DPCI’s Serious Organised Crime Investigation’s Wildlife Trafficking Unit with the support of other key partners who traced the shipment to a storage facility in Johannesburg, where four boxes containing 17 rhinoceros horns weighing 55.4kg, along with 26.2kg of lion and tiger bones, including skulls and claws, were discovered. They also arrested two Nigerian men and charged them in South Africa of being in the contravention of Section 57(1) of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (Act 10 of 2004), which prohibits restricted activities involving listed threatened or protected species.

The recovered horns and animal parts are believed to be part of a broader transnational trafficking network responsible for smuggling wildlife products from South Africa to other foreign markets. The decision by NParks to initiate and facilitate a controlled return of the shipment to South Africa enabled the DPCI to conduct investigations at the source country with the potential to identify and dismantle the broader criminal network beyond intercepting a single shipment in another country. The controlled return required extensive multinational cooperation between NParks and DPCI to ensure the shipment could be tracked and monitored throughout its journey. This approach demonstrates the importance of international cooperation in combating transnational wildlife crime, where targeting the criminal networks at their source can yield more significant long-term results than isolated seizures.

Milestones achieved at CITES CoP20

Singapore has been a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since November 1986 and is committed to stamping out illegal wildlife trade. NParks and Singapore achieved several milestones at the recent 20^th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CITES CoP20), held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from 24 November to 5 December 2025.

Leadership appointment for Committee II at CITES CoP20

Dr Anna Wong, Group Director of Community Animal Management and Senior Director of Wildlife Trade, NParks, was appointed the Chair of Committee II at CoP20. This is the first time a Singaporean has been appointed to chair one of the two main committees at a CoP. Committee II oversees a range of strategic and procedural matters of CITES, and makes recommendations concerning the implementation, interpretation and operation of the Convention.

As Chair of Committee II, Dr Wong presided over discussions on more than 100 agenda items throughout the conference, guiding debates and ensuring consensus among nearly 3,500 participants and adopting over 350 decisions. Committee II was tasked with agenda items related to the implementation of CITES — from financial matters, strategic matters such as livelihoods, species conservation and trade, in particular elephants, and compliance such as strengthening enforcement measures to combat illegal wildlife trade, and mitigating the risk of zoonotic disease transmission.

Appointments to key committees

Singapore was elected as one of three members representing Asia in the Standing Committee, the senior committee which guides CITES’ work by providing strategic direction and oversight of the implementation of the convention. In addition, Dr Alwyn Tan, Director of Biorisk & Biosurveillance, NParks, was also elected as one of two alternate members representing Asia in the Animals Committee. As part of his appointment, Dr Tan will contribute his expertise on the One Health[1] approach to global wildlife trade policy.

With these appointments, along with Dr Chong Kwek Yan, Deputy Director of Forest Ecology, NParks, who was elected as an alternate member in the Plants Committee at CoP19 in 2022, Singapore is now represented across all three permanent committees at CITES.

Recognition of CITES Global Youth Network (CGYN)

At CoP20, Singapore successfully proposed amendments to the CITES Resolution on Youth Engagement to formally recognise the CITES Global Youth Network (CGYN), a global youth network that started in 2024 working on CITES matters and empowering youths to tackle wildlife trade challenges. NParks also supported a Side Event by the CGYN at CoP20, bringing together and facilitating dialogue among young leaders, and spotlighting youth-led initiatives.

Investigations ongoing for 8 November 2025 seizure; animal parts identified as lion and tiger parts

On 8 November 2025, NParks and the Airport Police Division of SPF were alerted by SATS, an air cargo handler at the Singapore Changi Airport, to a suspicious shipment of four pieces of cargo en route to Vientiane, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Upon inspection, 20 pieces of rhinoceros horns weighing 35.7 kg, along with around 150 kg of other animal parts were uncovered and seized by NParks. This was the largest seizure of rhinoceros horns in Singapore to date, surpassing the previous record of 34.7 kg of rhinoceros horns seized in October 2022.

Based on molecular analysis carried out by NParks’ Centre for Wildlife Forensics (CWF), the other animal parts seized on 8 November 2025 was determined to be from lions and tigers. CWF is working with our collaborator from the University of Pretoria, South Africa to determine the provenance of the rhinoceroses from which the horns were taken.

Multi-agency investigations are ongoing and NParks has shared intelligence with international partners including INTERPOL, World Customs Organization and authorities from Laos, the stated destination of the shipment, to facilitate parallel investigations. NParks will continue to cooperate closely with both domestic and international partners to determine if the seizure in Singapore on 8 November 2025 is linked to the recent seizure in South Africa.

Further cross-border collaborations to combat illegal wildlife trade

Supporting Operation Thunder 2025

As a signatory to CITES, Singapore adopts a zero-tolerance stance on the illegal trade of endangered wildlife species, and their parts and derivatives. Our agencies collaborate closely in a multi-pronged, whole-of-government approach. This includes working with our international partners, to maintain vigilance in regulating and enforcing against illegal wildlife trade.

Earlier this month, INTERPOL announced that a record 30,000 live animals had been seized across 134 countries, including Singapore, as part of Operation Thunder, a global operation coordinated by INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization targeting illegal trafficking of floral and fauna. In support of Operation Thunder, NParks successfully carried out a series of coordinated raids across Singapore on 9 October 2025, targeting individuals suspected of engaging in illegal wildlife trade through online platforms, including Telegram.

A total of six premises were raided, resulting in the seizure of 16 wildlife specimens. Among the confiscated animals were endangered species listed under CITES such as Yellow-headed Day Geckos, a Leopard Tortoise, a Spiny-tailed Monitor and an Argentine Black and White Tegu. The animals are currently being housed and cared for at NParks’ Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation.

NParks and agencies recognised for enforcement efforts

On 17 October 2025, NParks, the Commercial Affairs Department of the Singapore Police Force (SPF), the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and the South African Police Services (SAPS) were jointly awarded the Asia Environmental Enforcement Recognition of Excellence (AEEE), coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme. The award recognised agencies’ enforcement efforts and close cooperation that led to the successful conclusion of a case in October 2022 involving the seizure of 34.7 kg of rhinoceros horns in Singapore.

The multinational collaboration led to the conviction of a South African national, who was sentenced on 26 January 2024 to 24 months' imprisonment after pleading guilty to two charges under the Endangered Species Act for transiting in Singapore with rhinoceros horns without a valid permit. This is the heaviest sentence meted out in Singapore to date for a case involving the smuggling of wildlife parts.

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[1] One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognises the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and inter-dependent. The approach mobilises multiple sectors, disciplines and communities at varying levels of society to work together to foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems, while addressing the collective need for clean water, energy and air, safe and nutritious food, taking action on climate change, and contributing to sustainable development.