The Hawks this week raided an illegal abalone-processing plant about as far from the sea as you can get — in Bloemfontein.
The raid points to a smuggling network from Cape waters, where the abalone is poached, to the middle of the Free State.
The facility was bust by the Hawks on Tuesday in the suburb of Bayswater, according to Hawks spokesperson Capt Christopher Singo, who said the team worked on “information received”.
The Hawks found dry and wet abalone with an estimated value of about R7m in a house in Olympus Street, Singo said.
Six suspects between the age of 20 and 40 were arrested and are expected to appear in court soon.
TimesLIVE
Poached abalone seized in Bloemfontein smugglers’ den
Stolen delicacy could be worth about R7m, say the Hawks
The Hawks this week raided an illegal abalone-processing plant about as far from the sea as you can get — in Bloemfontein.
The raid points to a smuggling network from Cape waters, where the abalone is poached, to the middle of the Free State.
The facility was bust by the Hawks on Tuesday in the suburb of Bayswater, according to Hawks spokesperson Capt Christopher Singo, who said the team worked on “information received”.
The Hawks found dry and wet abalone with an estimated value of about R7m in a house in Olympus Street, Singo said.
Six suspects between the age of 20 and 40 were arrested and are expected to appear in court soon.
TimesLIVE