Six people, including a well-known rhinocerous breeder, have been charged in South Africa in connection to an international rhino horn trafficking network after a seven-year investigation, officials announced Tuesday.

The suspects are accused of smuggling 964 horns worth $14.1 million to illegal markets in Southeast Asia. They face charges of fraud, theft and violating a national biodiversity law, the South African government said.

Trading in rhino horns is legal in South Africa among citizens, but local laws do not allow for their export due to an international ban.

The investigation by the country's specialized Hawks police unit "is a powerful demonstration of South Africa's resolve to protect its natural heritage," Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Dion George

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