The owners of Out of Africa Adventurous Safaris have been charged by the United States Department of Justice in connection with pseudo hunting.
“The owners of Out of Africa Adventurous Safaris were charged with conspiracy to sell illegal rhinoceros hunts in South Africa in order to defraud American hunters, money laundering and secretly trafficking in rhino horns,” the department said in a statement.
Brothers Dawie Groenewald and Janneman Groenewald are accused of selling illegal rhino hunts, where hunters were told they would hunt ‘problem rhino’. The defendants are alleged to have failed to obtain necessary permits and cut the horns off some of the rhinos with chainsaws and knives. The indictment further alleges that the defendants then sold the rhino horn on the black market.
“We are literally fighting for the survival of a species today.  In that fight, we will do all we can to prosecute those who traffic in rhino horns and sell rhino hunts to Americans in violation of foreign law,” said Sam Hirsch, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division.  “This case should send a warning shot to outfitters and hunters that the sale of illegal hunts in the US will be vigorously prosecuted, regardless of where the hunt takes place.” 
“South Africa has worked extraordinarily hard to protect its wild rhino population, using trophy hunts as a key management tool,” said Daniel Ashe, Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. “The illegal ‘hunts’ perpetrated by these criminals undermine that work and the reputation of responsible hunters everywhere.” 
The investigation of Out of Africa is part of Operation Crash, an ongoing nationwide effort to detect, deter and prosecute those engaged in the illegal killing of rhinoceros and the unlawful trafficking of rhinoceros horns led by the Special Investigations Unit of the Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement in co-ordination with the US Department of Justice.  
The  Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA) in a statement distanced itself from the Groenewald brothers. 
“PHASA distances itself completely from the practices and actions of which the Groenewalds stand accused.  Dawie Groenewald was expelled from our organisation eight years ago for bringing it into disrepute,” said Adri KItshoff, PHASA chief executive.
"The indictment of the owners of Out of Africa Adventurous Safaris is noted.  We will monitor developments related to the case,” said the Department of Environmental Affairs Spokesperson Albi Modise.