Grahamstown police recently caught suspects transporting more than R100 000 worth of perlemoen (abalone), making this the first case of abalone poaching that the city's SAPS spokesperson has ever come across in her time on the force here.
Grahamstown police recently caught suspects transporting more than R100 000 worth of perlemoen (abalone), making this the first case of abalone poaching that the city's SAPS spokesperson has ever come across in her time on the force here.
The two East London men appeared in the Grahamstown Magistrate's Court on Tuesday on charges of illegally possessing perlemoen. Masixole Loqo, 24, and his co-accused Bongani Lumkwana, 31, were arrested by Grahamstown police while transporting 11 bags of abalone early last Sunday morning.
Grahamstown police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender said the men were caught after police pulled their car over on the N2 opposite the 1820 Settlers' Monument. According to Govender, police found more than 170kg of perlemoen with a street value of R120 000 in the car.
The two suspected poachers are said to have been travelling from the Great Fish River to Port Elizabeth and attempted to deter suspicion by avoiding the coastal route. Govender told Grocott's Mail that in her three years as a constable with the Grahamstown police, she has never come across an abalone poaching case here before, although suspects are often apprehended in Port Alfred.
Dr Dave Balfour, executive director of biodiversity and conservation in Eastern Cape parks, said that abalone poaching continues to be a big problem in the province. “Often locals get blamed, but what we find when they are arrested is that it is people from other parts of the country who come here to poach. It's difficult for officials to try and patrol 400km of coastline and suspects aren’t apprehended as often as we would like, he said.
The case has been postponed until Tuesday next week pending a formal bail application, and the state has indicated that it will oppose bail.
