Poachers get 5 years

Two perly diewe have been sentenced this week, after they were busted with more than R5.6 million worth of illegal abalone in June.

Mathew Phiri, 45, and Patrick Kanyembo, 34, appeared at the Paarl Regional Court on Monday.

This after they were apprehended on 23 June during a joint search and seizure operation on the N1 near the Huguenot Tunnel, which was undertaken by members of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit, Crime Intelligence, K9 and Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Lockdown alert Level 3 – which was in place during this time – didn’t deter the skollies from trying to get their hands on perly.

Provincial Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani says: “The team uncovered a total of 14 855 units of dried abalone worth R5.6 million concealed in several boxes, at the back of a hired truck under vegetable bags.

“The duo remained in custody since their arrest.

“Phiri and Kanyembo pleaded guilty on all charges which included receiving, transporting and possession of illegally poached abalone as well as money laundering.”

The Paarl Regional Court sentenced the pair to 10 years behind bars for money laundering, of which five years was suspended for five years with stringent conditions.

Additionally, they were each sentenced to five years for receiving or possessing illegal abalone, of which four years are suspended and a further two years imprisonment for transportation of illegal abalone.

They will effectively serve five years in the mang as the sentences will run concurrently for their crimes.

The court also ordered them to pay R60 000 into Criminal Asset Recovery Account (CARA).

This is in addition to the R43 000 confiscated during their arrest, which had already been forfeited to the state.

SENT TO JAIL: Mathew Phiri, 45

SMOKKELAAR: Patrick Kanyembo, 34, sentenced