Law enforcement will come down hard on criminals who harvest marine wildlife and endangered species and sell them on the black market. Police are also cracking down on people operating on the country’s beaches without valid permits.
In the latest incident on Friday 3 February 2023, police from the Maitland Flying Squad in the Western Cape arrested a 21-year-old man for allegedly trading crayfish tails without a permit.
Police officers have received information about a young man running a business without permission to collect crayfish at an address in Belhar.
Police went to the address and searched the premises. The search found 3,864 crayfish tails valued at R1.7 million stored in the freezer.
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The young man was immediately arrested and taken away. He is expected to appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s court on Monday, February 6, 2023.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, an intelligence-driven joint operation between the SAPS Public Order Police, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Sanparks and a private company led to the arrest of two suspects and the seizure of abalone at the same location. day in the West End, Gqeberha.
More than 7 000 units of abalone were seized in the West End
Law enforcement officers also raided a business premises in the West End, and after conducting a search, they managed to recover a total of 7388 units of abalone and green Toyota bakkies worth approximately R1.8 million.
The suspects – aged 59 and 30 years – were arrested on charges of violating the Marine Resources Act, 19 of 1998 Regulation 36 subsection 1 – illegal possession of abalone and will appear before the Gqeberha judge on Monday 6 February 2023.
In the third incident, a week before the one mentioned above (January 17), the police in Gelvandale as well as in Gqeberha followed information from concerned residents who complained about a foul smell coming from a tenant’s house.
Fearing that a body had been decomposed, he called the police to investigate. Police arrived at the scene but no one was home at the time.
They then forced their way into the house by breaking the door. Upon entry, dry and wet abalone as well as processing equipment including stoves, buckets and deep freezers.
Almost 5 000 units of abalone were caught in Gelvandale
A total of 471 units of dry abalone and 4,396 units of wet abalone were confiscated. The total value of the abalone is R688 000.
The confiscated molluscs are taken to be kept by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment. Processing equipment was also seized.
Nelson Mandela Bay District Commissioner, Major General Vuyisile Ncata warned landlords that their properties could be forfeited to the state if tenants are caught using the premises for illegal criminal activities.
“We will cooperate with the necessary authorities but in the process, the owners may lose their property. For this reason, the owner must provide a profile of the tenant before renting the property and also make regular visits to the property. The property can be seized under the Crime Prevention Act Organized (POCA.) If we receive information about crimes that occur in certain houses, apartments or outbuildings, we will investigate and your property can be confiscated,” said Major General Ncata.
*Compiled by Devina Haripersad
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