The drying facility had no permit.
Image: Hawks
Three suspects will be making their first appearance in the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court on Friday after members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as the Hawks) busted an abalone-drying facility in Cape Town.
The suspects, aged between 30 and 40 years old, were arrested on Wednesday, March 25.
The provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, Lieutenant Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi, said the suspects were apprehended by members of the Hawks' Economic Protected Resources (EPR) in collaboration with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) for operating an abalone drying facility without a permit.
The abalone seized during the operation.
Image: Hawks
“The Hawks acted on information regarding the abalone drying facility in Thornton. Information was operationalised, and upon arrival at the premises, they encountered two suspects inside a Toyota bakkie that was loaded with containers consisting of abalone,” Vukubi said.
He said further information was followed up on, and a third suspect was arrested. A fourth suspect managed to evade arrest.
“Upon counting, 3,443 units of wet abalone and 5,995 units of dried abalone were seized with a total value of over R2.5 million.
“The three suspects are expected to appear in the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court on Friday, March 27, 2026,” Vukubi said.
IOL