At 3am on Wednesday morning, investigators from the SAPS’ Organised Crime Unit raided a house in Seventh Avenue where the men were staying.
The raid came after Constables Lucky van der Merwe and Mulalo Masuma received information that the occupants of the house were dealing in the endangered species.
A total of 3 928 individual, fresh abalone were recovered.
Abalone has been identified as of one the many classes of organism threatened with extinction due to over fishing.
The two men appeared in the Germiston Regional Court on Thursday on charges related to the illegal possession of an endangered wildlife species.
Acting spokesperson for the Edenvale SAPS, Lieutenant Colonel Robbie Roberts, thanked the constables for their continuous investigations into the illegal trade of wildlife.
“It is sad to see our endangered species being illegally harvested and sold for human benefit. These sea creatures are protected and should remain in the wild,” he said.
The arrest of the two men came just a week after the same officers arrested a man in Fourth Avenue for being in possession of dried shark fins.
