Table View police are on the hunt for a Chinese national after a stash consisting of shark fins and abalone were discovered in a Parklands home.
According to a police report, shortly after midnight on Sunday 18 December, constables Elroy van Zyl and Desire Motla of Table View Police Station responded to a housebreaking in progress complaint at Albany Close in Parklands.
Police spokesperson Captain Adriana Chandler says the officers arrived at the scene and noticed the garage door wide open and neighbours were gathering outside the house.
“According to the neighbours, a Chinese national was seen jumping over the fence into the property. The two officers cautiously entered the premises through the open front door and identified themselves as police officials. The house was searched but no suspect was found. According to another neighbour, the house was allegedly broken into by two unknown males earlier, when the owner of the house, who is the Chinese national, surprised them and chased after them by jumping over the fence. Neighbourhood watch members noticed a vehicle with four occupants speeding away from the house.”
Chandler says officers noticed a very fishy smell inside the house and investigated further. They discovered a few parcels with the wording “”shark fin” written on it, and it presumably contained shark fin.
Inside a freezer the officers discovered two large bags containing crayfish and abalone.
The officers contacted the Department of Sea Fisheries who arrived at the scene a few hours later.
The following was confiscated: 116 crayfish; 14 crabs; 68 shucked abalone; eight under sized dried shucked abalone; two freshwater line fish; 10 units of unknown fish; shark fins weighing 111.7kg; 17 oysters and one squid. The total value is estimated at R120 000.
The home owner, who is the Chinese national is nowhere to be found.
