A Kempton park resident and police reservist arrested a suspect in possession of 59 bags of abalone, weighing 518kg with an estimated value of R1 million last week Thursday.
Pieter Engelbrecht, who works for a car rental company at the airport, said he received information that one of their vehicles drove away from a service station just outside Bloemfontein without paying for petrol to the value of R600.
Engelbrecht traced the car, and when it got closer to Johannesburg, he and his partner went to apprehend the suspect.
He saw the vehicle stop at a Shell Ultra City on the N1 North in Midrand, where two men got out and walked away.
Engelbrecht said he stopped the vehicle once it was on the highway again. He said the driver immediately realised what was going on and said they forgot to pay for the petrol. The driver then offered to pay for the petrol.
Engelbrecht said he had to arrest the driver, because a case had been opened in Vuurpoort. While his partner detained the suspect, he walked to the vehicle and found the abalone.
Engelbrecht called for police assistance and the organised crime attended to the scene.
