EASTERN CAPE - MAN ARRESTED WITH 12 BAGS FILLED ABALONE WORTH OVER R200 000 AT GAMTOOS RIVER

A 26-year-old man has been nabbed for possession of twelve bags full of abalone with an estimated street value of R225 000. 00 in Thornhill yesterday.

It is alleged that on Thursday, 10 December 2020 at about 13:00, police received information that two men were off-loading abalone from a boat that was docked at the Gamtoos River, a few kilometres outside Thornhill.  

A patrolling vehicle was immediately dispatched to the scene and moments later members spotted the two suspects, one of them was in the boat. 

Upon seeing the police vehicle, the suspect inside the boat quickly headed the boat out of the shore into the river. 

Police arrested the other suspect in possession of twelve bags full of abalone. 

The second suspect is still at large.

Police seized 25 shelled, and 2 343 deshelled abalone with an estimated street value of R225 000, 00.

The suspect is expected to appear in the Hankey Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 14 December 2020 on charges of illegal possession of abalone.

Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Liziwe Ntshinga commended the community members who continue to provide valuable information to the police. “We applaud the law abiding citizens who continue to provide positive information to the police. Many crimes are solved and arrests made through the information shared by our vigilant community members”, she added.