Singapore battles its accidental role in Africa-Asia rhino horn smuggling

Singapore has emerged as a key transit point for the illegal rhino horn trafficking between Africa and Asia even as it takes steps to curb the trade. Authorities at Changi Airport seized 20 rhino horns last month (Nov 2025)– valued at approximately S$1.13m (US$880,000) – that were en route from South Africa to Laos. Besides tightening trade entry point checks Singapore has bolstered its border defences with sniffer dogs specifically trained to detect wildlife items – a measure that proved instrumental in foiling another smuggling attempt in 2022 when a South African national was arrested trafficking illicit rhino horns through Singapore. He received a record 24-month jail term. This followed legislative amendments that have stiffened the penalties for wildlife crimes. Beyond physical detection, the Centre for Wildlife Forensics at Singapore’s National Parks Board also works with international experts, using DNA analysis to gain deeper insights into trafficking patterns.

In several Asian countries, particularly China and Vietnam, rhino horn is coveted mostly for its rumoured medicinal properties (which have been scientifically debunked). On the black market, a Rhino horn can command up to US$15,000 per kilogram, with a typical horn weighing between 3kg and 5kg. The illegal trade is estimated to be worth as much as US$75m annually. 

Rhino horn trafficking operates as a form of organised crime, driven by sophisticated transnational networks that link African poaching grounds to buyers in Asia. Between 500 and 1,000 rhinos are killed across the continent annually. South Africa is the epicentre of the crisis as it is home to the world's largest rhino populations – 12,000 white rhinos, making up 76% of the global total, and 2,300 black rhinos, accounting for 34% of the species. 

With few direct commercial flights linking South Africa to East Asia, traffickers are forced to route cargo through major logistics nodes such as Singapore. This has made the city-state a choke point for smuggling via both air and sea. In response, authorities have tightened their net. This stricter stance was underscored last year, when a South African national received a record 24-month jail term for a 2022 attempt to traffic rhino horns through Singapore.

South Africa’s rhino population has been in decline since 2008, when poaching rates first began to rise significantly. The crisis was most severe between 2013 and 2017, when more than 1,000 animals were killed annually for five years in a row. The numbers peaked in 2014, with 1,215 recorded deaths. Poaching has since fallen steadily. This drop is driven by improved security and the fact that there are fewer rhinos left to target, as well as widespread dehorning programmes. This latter measure, while painless, is costly and requires repetition every 18 to 24 months. It also has limitations, as poachers have been known to still kill dehorned rhinos to extract the remnant stumps.

 

References

'Dehorning bears fruit as rhino poaching deaths drop in 2024', Daily Maverick, 6 March 2025

'Rhino horn trafficking today: Intelligence insights and emerging trends', Wildlife Justice Commission, 18 September 2025

'Ruling on rhino horn sales could unlock millions for conservation and maybe end poaching', News24, 1 November 2025

'Singapore snares record haul of smuggled rhino horns from South Africa', Reuters, 18 November 2025

'Singapore seizes record 35.7kg of smuggled rhino horns at Changi Airport', The Straits Times, 19 November 2025

'Inside the 9,000km smuggling route bringing rhino horns from South Africa through Singapore', Channel News Asia, 19 December 2025