A 39-year-old suspect is expected to appear in the Komatipoort Magistrate’s court on Friday, 15 October 2021 for illegal possession of abalone seized at the Lebombo port of entry on Wednesday, 13 October 2021.
It is reported that at about 10:50 the suspect was driving a minibus with a trailer into South Africa from Mozambique on his way to Johannesburg.
Upon inspection of the load customs officials noticed that he did not declare all the goods loaded in the vehicle prompting a search by the officials.
The search uncovered 21 boxes with concealed dry abalone valued at just over a million rand.
The Nelspruit Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team was summoned on the scene and swiftly charged the suspect for contravention of the Living Resource Marine Act. The team also seized the vehicle and the trailer as it is deemed to have been used in the commission of crime.
Meanwhile, in a separate and unrelated case a Hawks’ team from Secunda accompanied by dog unit and trio task team conducted a search and seizure operation at freedom square Emzinoni which resulted in a 27-year-old suspect being arrested for alleged drug dealing.
The search of the dwelling uncovered a batch of narcotics which included black tar heroin, rock, cocaine, crystal meth and dagga all valued at approximately R30 000-00. The detained suspect is expected to appear in the Bethal Magistrate’s Court.
