Determined to clamp down on the lucrative abalone trade in this province, detectives attached to the Provincial Organised Crime unit pursued leads, following the explosion and discovery of an illegal abalone processing facility in Maitland on Thursday 8 February 2018.
Investigations led the detectives to an address in Oasis Street, Elsies River, where a 27 year old suspect was arrested. It is suspected that he fled the scene of the explosion.
In addition to the arrest, numerous items of equipment used in illegal abalone processing facilities were also recovered. This included, amongst other, a large steel cooking pot, a scale, various gas cylinders and burners, drying shelves, fans, plastic containers and also bags of salt.
The suspect is due to appear in Cape Town Magistrates Court on Wednesday 14 February 2018, on charges under the Living Marine Resources Act.
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