Two in court today after R8m haul

TWO men arrested after police found 4 200 units of shucked abalone and 16 105 units of dried abalone worth R8 million in Rondebosch East will appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court today.

They face charges under the Living Marine Resources Act.

The arrest came after members from the Cape Town K9 Unit responded to a complaint of a bad smell and conducted an investigation in the neighbourhood of Rondebosch East on Tuesday. “At 9.30pm they approached a house in 5th Avenue where there was a stench. “They uncovered an illegal abalone processing facility.

“In a room next to the kitchen there were containers full of shucked abalone, two steel cooking pots and burners connected to a gas cylinder, and other equipment,” said police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana.