Hawks Uncover Major Illegal Abalone Operation in Alberton

In a significant blow to the illicit marine trade, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) has raided a large-scale illegal abalone processing plant in Alberton, arresting six suspects on-site. The operation is ongoing, with investigators actively processing the scene.

The Hawks, South Africa’s elite crime-fighting unit, moved in on the undisclosed location following intelligence-led operations targeting the lucrative and environmentally devastating abalone poaching syndicates. The suspects were arrested directly at the facility.

An Ongoing Scene

Police remain on the scene as the investigation continues. Further details, including the estimated value of the confiscated abalone and the specific charges the suspects will face, are expected to be released in due course.

This bust underscores the Hawks’ focused efforts to dismantle the sophisticated networks behind abalone poaching, which strip South Africa’s coastal ecosystems and fuel organized crime. The Alberton raid suggests a shift in tactics by syndicates, using inland, urban locations for processing to avoid coastal security, a move now countered by law enforcement’s expanding reach.

{Source: Citizen}

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