Three suspects aged between 32 and 38 were arrested on Monday, 23 August 2021 for illegal possession of abalone.
The trio was intercepted by members of the Bloemfontein Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team with the assistance of their Eastern Cape and Western Cape counterparts, Crime Intelligence (CI), K9 Unit, Trio Task Team as well as the Department of Forestry, Fisheries & the Environment (DFFE).
Their arrests followed after information was received last week about abalone being dried along Kerklaan road in Bainsvlei Bloemfontein.
A search warrant was then executed on Monday, 23 August 2021, which led to the arrest of the trio. The search uncovered 2881 units of dried and wet abalone weighing approximately 188kg. The value of the confiscated abalone and equipment is estimated at just over R1.3 million.
The suspects are expected to appear before the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 25 August 2021.