The Edenburg Regional Court has slapped two abalone smugglers with a minimum of five years’ direct imprisonment each, without the option of paying a fine. The court found Mxolisi Andrew Khinana (32) and Mduduzi Nephtaly Phafoli (43) guilty on the strength of evidence proving their involvement in illicit abalone trading.
WO Fikiswa Matoti, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, said the court found Phafoli and Khinana guilty on two charges of possession of abalone without a permit and the illegal transportation thereof under Marine Act 18 of 1988, which entails contravention of the Marine Living Resources Act.
The pair’s sentencing on Friday, 4 July, was the culmination of an investigation by the police as well as the Hawks. Their sentencing came after several court appearance after their arrest two years ago. Members of the Trompsburg highway police patrol unit arrested the accused on the N1 outside Trompsburg on 4 June 2023.
She said the members discovered the species – also known as perlemoen – in 53 refuse bags, transported in a white Toyota bakkie with a canopy.
“The accused were arrested on the spot for possession of the abalone species. The estimated value of the recovered abalone is R1,3 million” said Matoti.
In April this year, the Douglas police in Northern Cape arrested five men, two Malawian nationals, and three Chinese nationals regarding the illicit trading of abalone. Law enforcement agents seized 8 136 units of abalone with an estimate value of R1,9 million. The suspects were arrested during an anti-crime operation conducted in Douglas.
