South African authorities arrested Huy Bao Tran at Cape Town International Airport as he attempted to flee the country amid charges related to rhino horn trafficking. Tran is connected to a staged theft of 98 rhino horns and an international syndicate. The operation involved collaboration with Singapore officials following major seizures.
On Tuesday, 24 February, Huy Bao Tran, a 54-year-old Vietnamese national, was detained at Cape Town International Airport while preparing to board a flight to Singapore with his family. The arrest stemmed from an investigation into wildlife trafficking, linking Tran to the possession of rhino horns and predator bones.
Investigators from the Hawks connected Tran to two Nigerian nationals, Tunji Olanrewaju Koyi (35) and Koyode Adukunle Ongundele (43), who were arrested on 1 December 2025 at a storage facility in Kempton Park. They faced charges for possessing 17 rhino horns and 26.2kg of lion and tiger bones without permits. These items were tied to a reported armed robbery at Voi Game Lodge in Hartebeesfontein, North West, where 98 rhino horns were allegedly stolen in a staged incident a week later. The lodge's Vietnamese owner was absent during the event.
The probe gained global notice after Singapore authorities seized shipments originating from South Africa in November. One interception at Changi Airport uncovered 35.7kg of rhino horn labeled as furniture fittings, including 20 horns and 150kg of predator parts bound for Vientiane, Laos. A controlled delivery operation by the Hawks, SARS, and Border Management Authority followed the alert.
A white Toyota Prado, suspected in the robbery, was traced to Woodhill Golf Estate in Pretoria and seized for evidence. DNA from the vehicle and horns was sent to the University of Pretoria's Veterinary Genetics Laboratory.
Tran, who manages DKC Trading Company's South African operations including Voi Game Lodge and DKC Furniture, appeared in Bellville Regional Court on 25 February. He was remanded in custody, with his case set for Kempton Park Magistrates’ Court next week alongside the Nigerians.
The lodge is owned by Chu Dang Khoa, known as Michael Chu or the Diamond King, a Vietnamese figure with a history in trafficking. In 2011, Chu was convicted in South Africa for possessing five rhino horns, fined R40,000, and deported. A 2015 permit to ship up to 100 rhinos to Vietnam's Vin Pearl Safari Park was denied. Five rhinos from Voi Game Lodge were shot and dehorned at Bona Bona Game Lodge on Christmas Day.
Lieutenant Colonel Steve Roets, former head of the Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit, noted that many rhino horn thefts in South Africa involve staged burglaries, questioning the auditing of stockpiles by conservation authorities.
