On the evening of Tuesday 11 November members from the Cape Town K9 Unit and Stellenbosch Crime Intelligence responded to information of alleged illegal abalone activity at Bellerive Flats and proceeded to the premises. At approximately 19:30 they arrived at the Nantes Road flats where they approached a garage linked to a specific flat.
After the dog indicated a positive signal to his handler, the garage door was opened and 14 bags of shucked abalone were recovered from a chest freezer.
Officials from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries were summoned to the scene after which the abalone was counted. It amounted to 1 043 units with an estimated value of R190 000-00.
A 37 year old man was arrested and is due to appear in Stellenbosch Magistrates Court on Thursday 13 November.
Early this morning (Wednesday 2014-11-12), the same members from the Cape Town K9 Unit had just completed their duty shift and departed for home. Shortly after 06:00 they noticed a heavy loaded white Audi A4 travelling on the N2, opposite Lwandle, Strand, in the direction of Cape Town. As they approached the vehicle the driver accelerated and a high speed chase ensued, from the N2, via Baden Powell Drive and then the R102 (van Riebeeck Road) to Eerste River. During the chase the Audi attempted to ram the police vehicle from the road and also damaged a civilian vehicle which he bumped.
Upon entering Eerste River the passenger jumped out of the Audi and shortly thereafter the vehicle was stopped in Porter Close. Upon searching the vehicle the police recovered 21 bags of shucked abalone from inside the vehicle and the boot. The driver, 19 year old man from Heideveld was arrested and shortly thereafter the passenger, a 37 year old man from Hawston, was arrested nearby by the Western Cape Flying Squad.
Again officials from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries were summoned to the scene to count the abalone. It amounted to 2545 units with an estimated value of R500 000-00.
The men are due to appear in the Blue Downs Magistrates Court on Friday 14 November.
Photos supplied by Captain Piet Smit.
Also view:
Crime as a Threat to Road Safety
