Police efforts to ensure the protection of endangered marine life, Humansdorp Highway Patrol and OCC members were handsomely rewarded when four suspects were arrested with abalone valued over R26 000-00 in Humansdorp on 9 January 2021.
Police received information of a white Audi (with a registration number) that was carrying abalone traveling from Plettenberg Bay towards Port Elizabeth on Saturday, 09 January 2021 at about 08:00am.
Members from the Humansdorp Highway Patrol and Operational Command Centre (OCC) monitored the N2 road between Humansdorp and Jeffreys Bay. About an hour later, police spotted the vehicle on the N2 near Humansdorp and pulled it off the road.
There were four occupants inside the vehicle. Police requested to conduct a search, and found three bags full of abalone. The four men were arrested and detained for contravening the Marine Living Resource Act 18 of 1998 Reg 36 – illegal possession of abalone. Police seized 194 units of abalone weighing 43.6 kilograms and with an estimated street value of about R26 160-00.
The four men aged between 36 and 39 are expected to appear in the Humansdorp Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 11 January 2021.
Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner Lt Gen Liziwe Ntshinga commended the members for their success at work and great team effort.
