A 19-year old man of no fixed abode has pleaded guilty at Norwich Magistrates’ Court to attempting to steal a rhino horn from Norwich Castle Museum.

Nihad Mahmod also entered a guilty plea in respect of the breach of a conditional discharge imposed by a Kent court last December.

The attempted theft in Norwich involved four men that had forced entry into a display case in which the rhino head was on display.  Fortunately a member of the staff caught them in the act and prevented the theft.  The three other offenders have never been traced.

Rhino horn is an extremely valuable black-market commodity.  This one could have been sold for many hundreds of pounds.

The museum authorities are taking steps to have the exhibit replaced with a replica