Cape Town — Two foreign nationals, aged 34 and 37, were caught by the Gqeberha Serious Organised Crime Investigation of the Hawks for possession of abalone and illegal operating abalone last week.
In a statement, a joint operation including the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC), Dark Water Ops and Marine Life Environment Control members received information about an illegal abalone operating plant from the Neave Township in Gqeberha on 2 January 2025.
“The team swiftly responded and conducted the operation where on their arrival at the aforesaid plant, two foreign nationals were inside busy drying, processing and properly organising the abalone. Inside the premises 10510 wet and dry abalone units weigh 1061 kilograms to the value of more than R4.4 million were seized,” SAPS spokesperson, Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said.
During the operation, police seized multiple goods used in the cooking of the abalone.
#sapsEC Two foreign nationals were apprehended for possession of abalone to the value of more than R4.4 million at an illegal operating abalone plant at Neave Township in Gqeberha on 02/01. Members seized 10510 wet and dry abalone units weigh 1061 kilograms. NP… pic.twitter.com/WyoCdHjEO8
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) January 4, 2025
“The equipment which was 16x Black tuds filled with wet abalone, 2x Cooking pots, 1x Scale, 8x Gas tanks, 13x Industrial fans, 1x Deep fridge, 33x Dry racks, Tube pipes, 6x Heat plates, 52x empty tubes, 50x Blue plastic sheets, 450x large plastic bags, 10 kg chloride tube, 20 kg salt bags, 3x cell phones, note book containing weights and 1x Sif was also confiscated,” Mhlakuvana added.
The suspects were arrested and charged accordingly. They are expected to appear before the New Bright Magistrate’s court on 6 January 2025.
The Acting Provincial Head of the Hawks Brigadier Fernando Luis expressed his gratitude to the joint team for successfully uncovering the clandestine abalone plant and the arrest of suspects for contravention of the Marine Living Resources Act, 18 of 1998.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
