A LIMERICK gang is featured prominently in a new documentary focusing on the illegal trade of rhino horns worldwide.
The ‘Rathkeale Rovers’ feature in a new documentary, The Great Rhino Robbery, examining all aspects of the illegal rhino horn trade, which often sees horns stolen from museums across Europe.
Featured on Sky Documentaries and directed by Jesse Vile, the documentary ties the Limerick gang to many museum robberies, with 14 men linked to the Rathkeale-based gang found guilty of masterminding a plot to steal rhino horns and Chinese artefacts from museums and auction houses in Britain.
The documentary explains the increased demand for rhino horn, long believed to be a cure in ancient Chinese medicine.
After false information was spread that it could cure cancer, demand for rhino horn skyrocketed, with investigators on the documentary revealing that the substance had even been added to alcoholic drinks at bars in South East Asia.
One of the experts featured in the documentary was Paolo Viscardi, keeper of natural history at the National Museum of Ireland.
Mr Viscardi was one of the first people to notice the thefts from auction houses across the UK, and, working with a team of experts, alerted museums across the world about the increased risk of thefts.
It was Mr Viscardi and his colleagues that made the link between the Rathkeale Rovers gang and the rhino horn thefts, which led to 14 members of the gang being jailed in 2016.
