South African authorities have arrested a Vietnamese man accused of attempting to illegally sell lions, an anti-wildlife trafficking group said on Thursday.
Huu Tao Nguyen, 53, was arrested with another man identified by police as Nico Scoltz, 32.
Police said the duo were arrested during an undercover sting operation that followed a tip-off that an Asian man was illegally selling lions.
The Netherlands-based Wildlife Justice Commission, a foundation helping law enforcement agencies fight wildlife trafficking, said Nguyen offered to sell six of the big cats to undercover agents.
He introduced the detectives to Scoltz, who took them to a farm where the animals were kept.
After the transaction was completed, the men were arrested, police said.
A firearm and 50 rounds of ammunition were found inside their vehicle.
They appeared in court this week facing charges including contravening biodiversity laws.
Vietnam is a transport hub for illegal wildlife.
Wildlife Justice Commission’s executive director Olivia Swaak-Goldman described the arrests as significant.
“It is an important result as South Africa moves towards closing down commercial lion farms and taking action against criminal activities connected to these facilities,” she said on Thursday.
In April, South Africa laid out plans to phase out the captive breeding of lions for hunting purposes as it moves to ban the controversial business.
Breeders will have two years to voluntarily withdraw from the sector and change their business model before the ban kicks in.
Between 8,000 and 12,000 lions are kept on about 350 farms across South Africa, according to estimates by animal rights groups that regularly denounce the conditions in which the animals are held.
The number of wild lions in comparison totals only around 3,500, according to the Endangered Wildlife Trust, a South Africa-based NGO.
