The Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court has sentenced two abalone smugglers for their illegal dealings in the abalone species, worth hundreds of rands.
The court imposed minimum suspended sentences against Andile Nini (32) and Olwethu Bonga (31).
Col. Zweli Mohobeleli, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, said the sentences entail the option of either serving time in prison or paying a fine.
The pair was sentenced on Friday, 8 November, each to a fine of R20 000 or two years’ imprisonment.
Mohobeleli said the court found Nini and Bonga guilty on a range of charges.
These include contravention of the Marine Living Resources Act, contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, defeating the administration of justice, driving a vehicle with false registration, and reckless and negligent driving.
“The accused were each sentenced to R20 000 or two years’ imprisonment for contravention of the Marine Living Resources Act. For contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, they were sentenced to a R20 000 fine or two years’ imprisonment,” said Mohobeleli.
He said the sentence of four years’ imprisonment for defeating the administration of justice was suspended for five years, with the condition that they are not found guilty of a similar crime.
Mohobeleli said the charges of defeating the administration of justice, driving a vehicle with false registration, and reckless and negligent driving relate to the accused fleeing during a high-speed chase by the Bloemfontein police’s K9 unit members on 15 February last year. Vigilant community members aided with the arrests.
“Members of the local K9 unit had reacted to information about a vehicle with two occupants travelling on the N6 from the Eastern Cape, transporting abalone.
“Upon realising that they had been cornered, the suspects refused to stop. A police chase ended in Blomanda, where the suspects tried to escape on foot.
“Their luck ran out as members of the community joined the chase and arrested both suspects.
“Their vehicle was searched and abalone valued at R197 000 was recovered,” said Mohobeleli.
He said Nini and Bonga had been remanded in custody until their sentencing.
“The Serious Organised Crime Investigation detectives successfully opposed their bail applications,” explained Mohobeleli.
- Last year the Bloemfontein court slapped five men with similar sentences.
They are: Jinghuan Zhen (39, Chinese), David Mbewu (35, Malawian), Thabiso Johannes Khaile (40, Lesotho), and South Africans Marvin Fazel Kekana (44) and Randy Alfred Mapoe (38).
The court ordered four of the accused to pay a fine of R10 000 each, with Chinese national Zhen ordered to pay R100 000, of which R90 000 was suspended for five years on the condition he is not found guilty of a similar crime during the period of the suspended sentence.
The law enforcement agents discovered wet and dry abalone, estimated at R10 million during a raid in a house in Olympus Drive, Bayswater, in Bloemfontein. The team included the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team, Tactical Response Team (TRT), K9 unit, and Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) who pounced on the five men, acting on reliable information received.
