Hugo Ras, according to the state the mastermind behind a large-scale rhino poaching syndicate, appeared briefly in the High Court in Pretoria on Monday on more than 130 charges that include extortion, theft, money laundering, the illegal transport, possession and sale of rhino horns, the illegal possession and sale of elephant tusks and the illegal possession of a firearm. He stands trial alongside Trudie Ras, Magagula Mandla Maxwell, Willie Adriaan "Oosie" Oosthuizen and Abraham Johannes "Arno" Smit. Advocate Patsy Cloete, public prosecutor, indicated that the state is ready to proceed with an application to have Ras' bail provisionally cancelled. Ras's trial will begin later in the year after a date for it has already been set earlier. However, he failed to appear in court in October last year and was later arrested. One of his bail conditions was that he would attend every court appearance.