STEINKOPF (South Africa) On a dark night in the west desert of South Africa, Avrill Kffer was just about to close a sale. When vehicles with flashing lights emerged from the darkness, an officer from Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit jumped from behind a bush and ordered him to the ground.Before Mr. Kaffer realized that he was being set up, he already had his handcuffs on. He looked on as police officers opened the eight large cardboard boxes that he brought.They found Conophytums, small brown plants that look like dumplings and were only just discovered.Conophytum is a genus that includes over 100 species of flowering plants. Experts say this is the latest victim of the global surge in succulent poaching triggered by a surge demand from collectors around the globe, especially in China and Korea.
