Firearms (usually hunting rifles) were the common weapons used. There were however cases where cyanide was used to poison animals in Zimbabwes Hwange National Park.

Police customs officials or other governmental officials were perpetrators in 5% of incidents.

The top five commonly illegally possessed poached or smuggled species in the southern region were rhino horn elephant tusk abalone pangolin and big cats. Incidents where one or more species types were mixed were the third most popular after rhino and elephant.

Rhino poaching dominated South Africa and Namibia abalone dominated the Western Cape of South Africa while elephant dominated in the Botswana Zimbabwe Zambia corridor.

Poaching and trading in abalone was mostly associated with drug trafficking particularly methamphetamine (tik).

The top nationalities mentioned as perpetrators were South African first Chinese Zimbabwean and Vietnamese.

The reported market value of different commodities at the time of the crime or seizure ranged between US$200 and US$1 million per incident. Rhino horn and elephant tusk were associated with some of the higher values.

Link:
Anatomy of wildlife crime in southern Africa - Times LIVE