THE SOUTH African Police Service (Saps) has arrested three
Zimbabwe-bound men found with a R7 million load of the endangered abalone sea
fish destined for Zimbabwe.
The men were intercepted in Polokwane when the vehicle that
was carrying the fish boxes left Polokwane International Airport heading
towards Beitbridge Border Post for Zimbabwe.
“The Intelligence-led joint operation comprising the
Provincial Endangered Species Unit, the Polokwane Crime Intelligence Unit, the
Western Cape Provincial Crime Intelligence Unit, the Polokwane K9 Unit and the
Saps Polokwane International Airport, has intercepted a possible crime
syndicate which was transporting abalone in the City of Polokwane last night on
Friday the 31st January 2020,” Saps spokesman for Limpopo province Colonel
Moatshe Ngoepe said in a statement.
“This interception was a result of information about a grey
NP200 bakkie (small truck) travelling from Polokwane to Beitbridge port of
entry.”
He said a car matching the same description was then
spotted by these members in one of the streets, pulled off the road and then
searched, leading to the discovery of 37 boxes of abalone with an estimated
value of R7 million.
“Subsequently, three occupants were arrested. The origin
and actual destination of these suspects and the abalone will be determined by
the ongoing police investigations,” Ngoepe said.
Abalone, which is a protected species in SA, is a delicacy
replete on the shores of South Africa.
Together with halitosis parva and spadicea, abalone are
marine snails that are associated with rocky sea areas.
It is an economically important species and is highly
utilised and has a high market value. It is therefore one of the most
sought-after invertebrates of South Africa.
The fish has a huge market in seafood restaurants in
Zimbabwe and the region and has particularly struck a lot of interest with the
increased arrivals of Chinese nationals
“The suspects will appear before the Polokwane Magistrates’
Court soon for possession of endangered species (abalone),” Ngoepe said.
Meanwhile, at Beitbridge police are allegedly blocking Ushe
Tasara, shot by police last week, from filing a report for attempted murder.
Tasara, who was a crew member on a minibus travelling from
Beitbridge to Zvishavane, was shot at Tshapfuce by police who disappeared into
the bush leaving their victim.
Some passengers on the minibus during the shooting said the
incident was sparked by the minibus crew’s failure to give a R300 bribe to the
police who forcibly boarded the minibus and ended up driving the vehicle during
as the bribe demand escalated.
“My client’s (Tasara) report for attempted murder was
rejected by the police who say it’s a counter report and invalid, but we are
happy that the magistrate has ordered for a full report on circumstances surrounding
the shooting,” Jabulani Mzinyathi, the lawyer for the shooting victim, said.
Mzinyathi said his firm was in possession of two spent
cartridges picked by relatives of the victim hit on the thigh but was lucky not
to be hit on the bone.
Police last week said Tasara, who once worked as a driver
at a local daily publication, had a firearm which was yet to be recovered, but
Mzinyathi said this was a baseless misrepresentation by people caught on the
wrong side of the law. Standard
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