Johannesburg - A man was arrested after over 2 000 units of abalone with an estimated street value of R500 000 were found in a vehicle he was travelling in in Lwandle, near Cape Town, police said in a statement on Thursday
"The swift response of Flying Squad members this morning when they reacted on a tip-off, landed a suspect behind bars for the possession of a hijacked vehicle and the illegal possession of abalone," said South African Police Services spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Andrè Traut.
Traut said police were alerted about a vehicle possibly transporting abalone on the N2 in Somerset West, and conducted patrols in the area.
"The suspicious vehicle, a white Toyota Corolla was spotted and pursued. In Lwandle, the vehicle was forced to stop and a search led to the discovery of 2 098 units of abalone with an estimated street value of R500 000."
Traut said during an investigation it was also discovered that the vehicle was hijacked in Khayelitsha during November 2017.
"The 34-year-old suspect is expected to make a court appearance in Strand, once he has been charged."
The Provincial Commissioner of the Western Cape police, Lieutenant General KE Jula commended the police for bringing the perpetrator to book.
Jula said that the stripping of marine resources would remain a priority in the province which would be tackled in all earnest.