WALKERVILLE. – Members of the Western Cape Serious and Violent Crime: Stock Theft Unit executed an accurately planned operation resulting in the confiscation of abalone with an estimated street value of R2.8 million.
The operation, which was intelligence driven, focused on the illicit trade of abalone across provincial borders, resulted in the arrest of a suspect in Walkerville, on Wednesday, March 6.
The operation unfolded in the early hours of the morning when law enforcement officers, deployed to the Gauteng Province, observed a suspicious Nissan NP 200 in Walkerville. The situation escalated quickly when the driver attempted to evade arrest, endangering both law
enforcement and other road users in a high-speed chase. Speaking to Ster, Western Cape police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said despite the suspect’s reckless attempts to evade authorities, law enforcement officers persisted. The suspect lost control of the vehicle near the R59 in Meyerton. “Following the apprehension of the driver, a thorough inspection of the vehicle revealed a substantial consignment of abalone, implicating the suspect in illegal trafficking activities,” he said. “Returning to the identified address in Walkerville, law enforcement officers uncovered a fully operational abalone processing plant. The investigation led to the arrest of a 51-year-old individual who now faces a litany of charges including attempted murder, reckless and negligent driving, possession of abalone, and possession of an illegal jamming device,” said Warrant Officer Swartbooi. The suspect will appear in the Meyerton Magistrates
Court on the mentioned charges.