GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - Police uncovered a massive haul of abalone stashed in a Porsche Cayenne, its trailer and a Toyota Camry - with the Porsche surely the most luxurious vehicle ever utilised to transport poached or even legal seafood on a large scale.
The abalone, worth R3 300 000, was discovered on Tuesday evening, 2 May, after the police gave chase when the drivers of the Porsche and Camry tried to evade the Cookhouse Highway Patrol Police who spotted them at 19:00 on the R75 heading from Kariega in the direction of Graaff-Reinet.
Reinforcements were called in and the vehicles were intercepted at the Jansenville/Pearston/Graaff-Reinet crossing. The Toyota was brought to a stop, but the driver of the Porsche sped away in the direction of Graaff-Reinet.
The flashing lights of police vehicles from Graaff-Reinet joining the manhunt, alerted the driver of the Porsche that he and his loot had reached the proverbial end of the road. He stopped the vehicle and he and the other occupant/s fled into the night.
The driver of the Toyota, presumably the leader of the suspected abalone poaching syndicate, was arrested for illegal possession and transport of abalone, and the police also managed to nab one of the occupants of the Porsche, who was arrested on the same charges.
In total, 75 bags with 9 398 units of abalone were discovered and the abalone, vehicles and trailer were impounded.
The two male suspects appeared in court in Graaff-Reinet yesterday, Wednesday, 3 May.
Cookhouse Highway Patrol, Graaff-Reinet SAPD, Sgt Johan Theron of the Graaff- Reinet Crime Centre, the Graaff-Reinet Stock Theft Unit and the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries were part of the successful operation.
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