Two suspects in court for possession of abalone

Gqeberha K9 in partnership with a private anti-poaching unit arrested two suspects yesterday, 22 December 2021 for illegal possession of abalone.

It is alleged that on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 at approximately 08:30, members received and acted on information about abalone poachers in the vicinity of Schoenmakerskop. The members followed up on the information and with the assistance of the private anti-poaching unit they held way lay duties. Abalone divers were seen in the water and divers from the anti-poaching unit also went into the water and searched around the area where the poachers were spotted. They recovered two green bags containing fresh abalone. K9 unit members arrested two suspects aged 31 and 3 years old. The third suspect manages to evade arrest.

The two bags contained 128 units of abalone and were confiscated together with their diving equipment with a combined estimated value of R150 000.

The suspects were detained for contravention of the Marine Living Resource Act, 19 of 1998 Regulation 36 subsect 1 – illegal possession of abalone and will appear in the Gqeberha magistrate today, 23 December 2021.