The arrest of two foreign nationals in Parow yesterday, a 20-year-old Chinese man and a 30-year-old Zimbabwean man, led police to an address in Watsonia Street, Tygerdal in Goodwood where another abalone drying facility was discovered late last night, 12 August 2018. Although no further arrests have been made, abalone valued at an estimated R9.5 Million and equipment used to process abalone have been confiscated.
The persons responsible for the operation of this facility are now being sought. It was also established that the value of the abalone seized at the Talent Street residence yesterday was under estimated in our previous statement (attached) and are in fact valued at R5.4 million. We consider the operation a step closer in breaking the back of the lucrative illegal abalone trade in the Western Cape.