Police seized illegal abalone and processing equipment worth several million rand in two busts on Monday night.
At 7pm on Monday July 10, police raided a farm in Bottelary Road, Brackenfell, after a tip-off. Police found 6 878 units of fresh abalone, 24 922 units of dry abalone and equipment used for processing at the farm.
Two people, aged 43 and 46, were arrested for operating an illegal abalone processing facility.
Half an hour later, police received another tip-off and raided a cold storage truck in Montague Gardens, Milnerton. They found about five tons of frozen abalone in hundreds of bags.
A 23-year-old woman and three men aged 24, 26 and 37 were arrested for the illegal possession of abalone. “The value of the abalone confiscated during the two operations is yet to be determined, however, it is estimated at several million rand and deemed a significant blow to the illegal abalone trade in this province,” provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel André Traut, said.
