A joint intelligence driven operation on Tuesday (31 October) by members of the Hawks’ marine group, the Department of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries (DAFF) and a K9 unit resulted in the arrest of two suspects in Brackenfell in possession of illegal abalone worth R5 million.
Hawks spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha says the team followed up on information about a suspicious vehicle allegedly transporting abalone near Brackenfell.
“The pursuit led the team to an address along River Road, where an abalone processing facility was discovered, resulting in the arrest of the pair, aged 39 and 42.
“This also led to the subsequent seizure of over 40 000 units of abalone, weighing about 2233.5kg, which comprised of wet, dried and cooked units valued at just over R5 million.”
Ramovha says the pair are expected to appear at the Kuils River Magistrate’s Court on Thursday (2 November) facing charges related to dealing in abalone.
