Cape Town - Police in the Western Cape have dealt poachers a heavy blow, confiscating abalone with an estimated street value of R2.4 million.
In a statement released on Friday, provincial police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said officers of the Overberg cluster made the confiscation at about 8pm on Thursday.
He said officers were conducting crime-prevention patrols when they received information about a vehicle travelling from Buffeljags in the direction of Stanford.
Swartbooi said officers immediately put their strategy into operation and patrolled the route.
“When the driver of the suspicious vehicle transporting the load became aware of the presence of the police members, he tried to flee and evade an arrest. Eventually he lost control, which resulted in the vehicle ending up in a ditch next to the road,” he said.
Swartbooi said the suspect managed to flee on foot. Officers confiscated the abalone and recorded a total of 6 123 units.
Police have urged anyone with information that can lead to the arrest and successful prosecution of the suspect to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
In an unrelated incident, police arrested three suspects, aged 17, 36 and 37, in Ottery following a high-speed chase after a vehicle that was hijacked in Zeekoei Road in Grassy Park.
Swartbooi said that at about 9.20am, a woman was hijacked at gunpoint by the unknown suspects, who forced her out of her vehicle, a Toyota Fortuner. The suspects fled the scene in the woman’s vehicle.
The vehicle’s tracker was activated, which led to a high speed-chase by members of the Flying Squad.
The driver ignored the officers’ instructions to stop and knocked into other vehicles during the chase. Officers fired numerous shots at the hijacked vehicle.
“The vehicle was brought to a halt in Ottery. The suspects were found in possession of an imitation firearm.
“Once charged, they are expected to make a court appearance in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on a charge of hijacking,” Swartbooi said.
African News Agency (ANA)