The fight against the ongoing scourge of abalone poaching yielded positive results when two suspects were apprehended and abalone worth more than a million rand confiscated. Lieutenant Colonel Winston Coetzee reported officials from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE), based in Gansbaai, netted two suspected poachers and confiscated the large amount of abalone on Friday 17 February. “The officers were doing routine patrols when they spotted a suspicious-looking minibus taxi travelling on the R43 in the direction of Stanford. The driver failed to stop and a high-speed pursuit followed, which ended in Stanford,” he stated. After further investigation the officials confiscated 3 608 units of wet abalone found in the minibus. Coetzee reported the estimated street value of the abalone was R1,4 million. “Magcinandile Msopi (30) and Mbalentie Qondani (23) were arrested for the illegal possession of abalone” he said. “They appeared in Hermanus Magistrates’ Court on 20 February and were released on bail of R3 000 each.” The case was postponed to 22 March. Coetzee commended the DFFE officials for their good work and vigilance, which led to the successful arrests and confiscations made. “Abalone poaching remains a gr


Two arrested, abalone worth about R1,4 m confiscated

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