Yesterday morning the Cape Town K9 Unit received information of alleged illegal abalone activity and proceeded to search a residence in Pelican Heights, Grassy Park. At about 10:00 they entered the house in Osprey Street where they uncovered a fully operational abalone processing facility on the ground level.
A drying room was found which had numerous shelves and plastic crates filled with thousands of units of dried abalone. In the garage the members found a Hyundai panel van filled with crates of dried abalone. In addition to the abalone and vehicle, numerous items of equipment were seized which include, among other, the cooking pots, gas cylinders and burners, fans, drying shelves and a scale.
The abalone is to be counted and weighed by officials from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, but the value is estimated at quite a few million rands.
Two men and a women were arrested. They will appear in Muizenberg Magistrates Court on Monday, 26 June 2016.