Joint sting uncovers R12m in illegal abalone

IN THE largest seizure of abalone in KwaZulu-Natal to date, six suspects, four of them foreign nationals, were arrested during an early morning raid on a farm in Camperdown outside Durban last week. The investigation uncovered 5-6 tons of dried and wet (shucked) abalone worth between R10 million and R12 million. The suspects were due to appear in court last week. Investigators from the Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO), the South African Revenue Service (Sars), and a Special Task Force of the South African Police Service (SAPS), uncovered the sophisticated network. From May 1 this year abalone will be included on the Cites list of protected species. However, the levels of illicit trade in abalone are fast depleting South Africa’s marine resources, according to Sars. Abalone is listed under the Prohibited and Restricted Goods List administered in terms of section 113 of the Customs and Excise Act (91 of 1964), and permits are therefore required for exports. “This species may be legally sold by registered commercial fishers and retailers but an operating licence from MCM needs to be obtained for this purpose,” a Sars spokesman said. Based on research figures of confiscations during 2005, which totalled more than 1.1 million tons, conservative estimates of earnings for smugglers and poachers for that year probably exceeded R1.2 billion. “This not only represents the risk of revenue loss to the fiscus but also the convergence of other forms of criminal activity including drug smuggling, money laundering, smuggling, racketeering and human trafficking.”