Chinese national sentenced to 14 years in prison for decade-long poaching syndicate

Posted by Taylah Strauss on 30 November 2021

Malawi has closed yet another landmark case, notable for not only the scale of the syndicate but also for the identity of the perpetrator. Lin Yunhua – a Chinese national – is alleged to be the kingpin of one of southern Africa’s most prolific wildlife trafficking operations – the Lin-Zhang gang – and has been sentenced to 14 years in prison in Malawi.

This syndicate is thought to have operated out of Malawi for at least a decade. After a three-month manhunt, Yunhua was apprehended by authorities in August 2019 and found to be in possession of five rhino horns chopped into 103 pieces.

Yunhua was given his sentence in the magistrate’s court in October 2021, to which he filed for an appeal, according to VOA News. The court is yet to set a date for his appeal. In addition, 14 other individuals involved in this large-scale operation has been sentenced to prison, two of which is Yunhua’s wife and son-in-law. His daughter is currently undergoing trial for her offenses.

Malawi passed a new act that empowered courts to sentence wildlife criminals for up to 30 years with no option of a fine in December 2016, according to National Geographic. An accumulative total of 36 years of imprisonment was given to three poachers in Malawi in 2017, all of which is a testament to Malawi’s zero tolerance for wildlife offenders.

Malawian officials have expressed hopes that these hefty sentences will deter future offenders. And the proof is in the pudding, as Brighton Kumchedwa – director of Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife – has reported the courts have witnessed a decline in cases of ivory trafficking.

Picture: Getaway Gallery

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