Hawks secure R1.2m from Gqeberha abalone syndicate after years‑long probe

The Hawks’ Asset Forfeiture Investigation (AFI) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) have secured a R1.2 million criminal assets recovery after a long investigation into an abalone‑poaching syndicate operating in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. The payment was received on 23 June 2026, following a preservation and forfeiture process that began with raids and seizures dating back to 2018.

Years of investigation and a major 2018 seizure

Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said the asset forfeiture order was granted by the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 23 June 2026. He described a breakthrough in 2018 when law‑enforcement authorities executed an operation at a clandestine abalone‑processing facility on a farm outside Kariega.

According to Mhlakuvana, the 2018 operation resulted in the seizure of 37 356 units of abalone with an estimated value of R5 258 300. He said the intervention disrupted the syndicate’s operations and prevented a substantial quantity of illegally harvested marine resources from entering illicit markets.

Arrests and convictions

Mhlakuvana said the operation led to arrests of persons involved in the processing activities, and that foreign nationals were among those who formed part of the syndicate’s operational network.

He said the criminal prosecution arising from the investigation produced substantial convictions and sentences. Syndicate leader Morne Blighnault was sentenced to 20 years’ direct imprisonment, while Marshelle Blighnault and Jacob Johannes Jacobus Naumann were each sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment. Additional syndicate members received various custodial sentences, correctional supervision orders, community service directives and financial penalties.

How the syndicate operated and assets traced

According to Mhlakuvana, investigators uncovered a sophisticated and highly structured criminal enterprise involved in the unlawful harvesting, processing, transportation and commercialisation of abalone in contravention of the Marine Living Resources Act and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA).

“The syndicate’s leadership coordinated the acquisition, processing, and distribution of illegally harvested abalone, while other members facilitated logistics, transportation, financing, property acquisition and operational support.”

Investigators identified a Nissan Hardbody 2×4 motor vehicle, valued at R52 900, as an instrument of crime after it was used to transport illegally harvested abalone and processing equipment. The AFU obtained a preservation order followed by a forfeiture order, and the vehicle was permanently forfeited to the State.

Search‑and‑seizure operations at properties in the Kragga area and Sydenham uncovered assets linked to proceeds of the criminal enterprise. Financial analysis established that the properties, with a combined value exceeding R1.8 million, had been acquired using illicit funds and were actioned.

Outcome: CARA payment and final steps

The matter, investigated under the Kabega Park and Swartkops policing precincts, culminated in a Criminal Assets Recovery Account (CARA) payment of R1.2 million, which was received on 23 June 2026. Mhlakuvana said the forfeiture and prosecution actions represent a significant blow to organised abalone‑poaching activity in the area.