Four men arrested while transporting abalone are expected to reappear in the Kroonstad Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday (13/07) after a brief appearance on Friday.
The suspects, Husin Adam (50), Deshar Dasram (34), Bernard Myburg (39) and Fu Lin (37), were arrested while transporting abalone of more than
R3 million by truck.
R3 million by truck.
They are expected to apply for bail following their arrest on Tuesday (05/07) at a filling station in Kroonstad. They face charges of possession of the prohibited species.
Capt. Christopher Singo, spokesperson for the Hawks in the Free State, said the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team seized 26 boxes of abalone. The truck and R25 000 cash was found in possession of the first suspect, Adam.
Singo said the other three men were arrested the following day as part of intensive investigation.
“During ongoing investigation, it was discovered the truck used belonged to a Bloemfontein-based logistics company and species were delivered and loaded in Bloemfontein. Investigation is going into the abalone case and the logistics company’s involvement.”
He said members of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team in Bloemfontein acted on reliable information received about the suspect who had been transporting abalone from Free State to Gauteng. Singo said the arrest was the result of an activation that involved members of the Serious Organised Crime Investigation team in Welkom, as well as the Kroonstad Highway Patrol.
Meanwhile, Singo said, the Hawks have completed an investigation involving six suspects arrested at 25 Olympus Drive in Bloemfontein in connection with a R7 million abalone processing plant.
The suspects are Chinese national Jinghuan Zhen, Malawian David Mbewu, Lesotho national Thabo Johannes Khaile and the South Africans Randy Alfred Mapoe, Marvin Fazel Kekana and Clareece Genevieve.
“The matter is with the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) for prosecution. The suspects are currently out on bail,” said Singo.
