Cops have seized perly worth R10 million and nabbed three foreign nationals in the Rylands industrial area in the biggest bust of its kind in the Cape in recent years.
Police spokesman Lt Col Malcolm Pojie says cops in the Western Cape are pulling the net tighter to eradicate the illegal distribution and depletion of living marine resources which threatens the economy of the country and contributes to the commission of serious crime.
“Continued efforts by members attached to the Provincial Tactical Response Team (TRT) ensured the apprehension of three suspects, a 53 year old Chinese national and two Zimbabwean nationals aged, 28 and 31 years old, in what is believed to be one of the biggest abalone busts in this province in recent years,” says Pojie.
“On Sunday, 15 September 2024 at about 17:00, members of the TRT acted on information about an abalone storage facility which led them to an address situated in the industrial area of Rylands near Philippi.”
He says upon arrival, cops noticed a suspect at the entrance gate who tried to run away when he saw them.
“The members in hot pursuit, managed to apprehend the suspect, a Chinese national and discovered a massive storage building which was converted into an abalone processing facility.
“The members also apprehended two Zimbabwean nationals who were found inside the facility, busy processing a substantial quantity of wet and dry abalone.”
Pojie says further inspection of the premises led to the discovery of 11 485 wet and 15 200 dry abalone as well as equipment with a total estimated value of R10.3 million.
The three suspects are scheduled to appear in the Athlone Magistrates’ court today for the illegal possession of abalone.
Pojie says in another incident, a TRT platoon deployed in Nyanga seized a VW Caddy and 2505 units of abalone which were found abandoned as the suspect fled the scene and is yet to be arrested.
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