Cape Town - More than R6 million worth of abalone has been confiscated by authorities so far this month as the scourge of abalone poaching continues in the Western Cape.
In the latest incident, two foreign nationals were arrested and charged with contravening sections of the Living Marine Resources Act after more than R4.5m worth of abalone was found in their possession. Members of the Hawks, the police’s K9 unit and the Department of Fisheries and Forestry made the arrest on Tuesday in Gordon’s Bay.
The two men, a Chinese national, 23, and a Zimbabwean national, 28, were found in a house the Hawks believed was used as an illegal abalone processing facility. Authorities seized equipment and over 26 015 units of abalone worth millions.
Hawks spokesman, Lloyd Ramovha, said: “We shall continue to dismantle laboratories in intensified endeavours to rid our coastlines of this scourge.”
The pair are expected to appear in the Strand Magistrate's Court on Thursday.
Earlier this month, police arrested two men transporting more than R800 000 worth of abalone.
Meanwhile, Chinese nationals Han Ran and Zhao Huirm were sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and fined R500 000 at the Khayelitsha Priority Crimes court for smuggling abalone and cultivating dagga. The two, aged 31 and 35 respectively, were arrested earlier in the year. They were alleged to have been operating an abalone holding on the outskirts of Langebaan. They were also accused of running a processing facility.
More than 37 936 units of dried abalone and five units of wet shucked abalone were confiscated during the arrest.
Last week, DA standing committee chair on economic opportunities, tourism and agriculture, Beverley Schäfer, said abalone poaching has had a devastating effect on local coastal communities and businesses.
She said that gangsters attracted to poaching are making their way into communities with young people being coerced into drug abuse and prostitution.
“Poachers are no longer paid in cash but in drugs,” Schafer said.
She said the Hawks were achieving some success in prosecuting rackets, but they were nowhere near alleviating the problem.
Cape Argus