The price of rhino horn rockets, rhino-related crimes increase

With the crackdown on rhino poaching, the price of illegal rhino horn has skyrocketed. According to reports, rhino horn can fetch up to US$ 40,000 a kilogram – more than the price of gold. In 2010, the price was just over USD $25,000.
One of the biggest markets for the horn is in Asia (China and Vietnam), where the horn is though to have medicinal value.
The Metropolitan Police Art and Antiques Unit recently warned museums to take precautions after a spate of rhino horn thefts. According to the unit, some 20 thefts of horn have been recorded from museums and auction houses across the UK and Europe in the last six months.
Organised criminal gangs are often using “smash and grab” raids and have shown they are willing to use force, the unit said in a statement.
The European law enforcement agency Europol has revealed that a mobile Organised Crime Group (OCG) of Irish origin is running this rhino horn racket. According to reports, the Irish gang has been sourcing rhino horn from auction houses, museums, antique dealers, art galleries, private collectors and zoo displays.