Sabriye Huseike (28) and Osman Abdulkarim Jama (45) appeared before the Kroonstad Regional Court Friday, 23 March 2023 where they pleaded guilty for possession of abalone, corruption and additional charges of illegal immigration.
On 17 February 2023, Kroonstad Highway police, when patrolling on the N1 from Ventersburg to Kroonstad.
They then became suspicious of a bakkie with two suspects at the time. The police stopped the vehicle and requested to search it.
The suspects tried to entice the police and offered them R10 000-00 not to search the vehicle.
The police continued and searched the vehicle. During the search, they discovered boxes containing dried abalone. The suspects were then arrested and the case was handed over to the Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation team based in Welkom for further investigation.
Following a series of court appearances, the court sentenced Huseike to a fine of twenty thousand on a count of possession of abalone or five years imprisonment. On the count of corruption he was fined R10 000-00 or five years imprisonment.
He was also sentenced to three month imprisonment for illegal immigration wholly suspended for five years.
Jama was sentenced to a fine of twenty thousand on a count of possession of abalone or five years imprisonment.
