Notorious Chinese kingpin of wildlife crime syndicate jailed for 14 years in Malawi

The kingpin of one of Southern Africa’s most prolific wildlife trafficking syndicates was on 28 SEPTEMBER 2021 sentenced to serve 14 years in prison in Malawi.

Chinese national Yunhua Lin was the head of the ‘Lin-Zhang gang’, which has been operating out of Malawi for at least a decade.

He was arrested in August 2019 alongside Malawian national James Mkwezelemba following a three-month manhunt by the authorities.

Judge Justice Violet Chipao sentenced Lin Yunhua to 14 years in prison for trading in rhino horn, 14 years for possession of rhino horn, and an additional six years for money laundering.

But Justice Chipao said the sentences will run concurrently, meaning that Lin will serve a total of 14 years.

The judge also emphasised that the traffickers were encouraging poaching and therefore needed to receive a more serious punishment than poachers as a deterrent, stating: “The pieces of rhino horn came from not one but five different rhinos … what’s more, the court feels that Mr Yunhua Lin was a mastermind as he owns all the properties where specimens were found.”

Lin’s sentencing brings the total of Lin-Zhang gang members sent to prison to 14; 10 Chinese and four Malawian nationals have received jail sentences for a variety of offences related to the possession of firearms and protected or listed species, including pangolins, rhino horns, hippo teeth and elephant ivory.

The landmark cases are notable both for the scale of the operation and because they led to the jailing of the first non-African nationals for wildlife offences in Malawi.

Prosecution lawyer, Andy Kaonga says Lin would face another punishment after completing the sentence.

“Once he serves the sentence, our colleagues at the DPP [Director of Public Prosecution] office will probably take it to the minister of homeland security and then start the process of his deportation because the court has recommended that he should be deported from the country,” he said.

The sentencing of Lin brings the number of wildlife trafficking syndicate members sent to prison to 14. These include four Malawian and 10 Chinese nationals, including Lin’s wife currently serving an 11-year prison term. Lin’s daughter was also arrested in December 2020 for alleged money laundering offences. Her trial is ongoing.

Meanwhile, Brighton Kumchedwa, Director of Malawi’s Department of National Parks & Wildlife, said: “It is critical that wildlife criminals can expect to feel the full weight of the law and the message needs to be loud and clear: Malawi is no longer a playground for the likes of the Lin-Zhang syndicate that exploit our natural heritage, damage our economy, incite corruption and pose a risk to national security.

“This is indeed a victory for the Malawi – and a victory for our nation’s wildlife in particular.”