January 22 2010 at 05:00PM

Poachers had killed at least 14 rhino since the start of the year, SA National Parks said on Friday.

Sanparks chief executive officer David Mabunda said in a statement that seven rhino had been poached in the North West and another seven in the Kruger National Park.

He said the figure brought the total number of rhino killed in the past three years to 93. A total of 48 arrests had been made.

Two suspected poachers had been arrested in the first two weeks of January.

"Investigations are continuing, with a number of leads on some more suspects, and the investigating team predicts that more arrests will be made soon," said Mabunda.

"We are not forgetting upstanding members of our communities who have in the past assisted us in foiling the plans of these would-be poachers and even arresting them.

"We are saying that we cannot finish this task without your invaluable help. We need all the information you can provide on these criminals so that we can put them away for a long time."

Mabunda said plans to bring the military to patrol the Kruger National Park's border with Mozambique were at an advanced stage.

"South Africans must realise that we are not dealing with your ordinary petty criminal here. These poachers are members of well-resourced syndicates and are also involved in chilling crimes like human trafficking, arms smuggling, prostitution and drug trafficking.

"They are dangerous criminals." - Sapa