Goodwood police arrested three men for illegal abalone on Tuesday afternoon, 6 February when they acted on information they received from the community.
Provincial police spokesperson FC van Wyk says the men were arrested at approximately 13:00 when police entered the premises in Wiener Street where they uncovered an illegal abalone processing facility.
“Police received a complaint of a stench coming from a residence in Wiener Street to which the Crime Prevention Unit responded.
“Stainless steel pots, plastic containers and burners were found in a cooking room. A second room was a fully equipped drying room filled with numerous shelves of abalone, of which many were undersize. These equipment and other, including scales, gas cylinders, boxes and also bags of salt were also seized.”
Van Wyk says the three males age 37, 40 and 43 were arrested and are to appear in the Goodwood Magistrates Court on Thursday on charges under the Living Marine Resources Act.
“The exact value of the abalone confiscated is yet to be determined, however, it is valued at a substantial amount,” he says.
The Western Cape Provincial Commissioner Lt Gen KE Jula says that protecting the marine resources will remain at the core of the police mandate, and he also commended the members for a task well done.
