Police officers on election patrol in Cape Town on Wednesday afternoon arrested a 25-year-old man after stumbling upon an illegal abalone processing facility.
“This afternoon, members from Cape Town K9 Unit were conducting election patrols in Glucose Road, Bellville South, when they noticed a Ford Ranger LDV reversing from a warehouse, the driver of which appeared suspicious,” police spokesperson Sgt Noloyiso Rwexana said.
Rwexana said police searched the vehicle and recovered 16 sealed boxes of dried abalone. The weight of the abalone was estimated at 348kg with the value of R2m.
The police members then searched the warehouse and uncovered an illegal abalone processing facility.
“Various items of equipment, including a large steel cooking pot, gas cylinders, piping and burners, scales, fans, heaters, drying shelves and bags of salt were seized.”
Rwexana said the man was arrested on charges under the Living Marine Resources Act and will appear in the Bellville Magistrate's Court on Friday.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
