Abalone. Photo: SAPS

Table View police arrested two men (aged 31 and 41) and confiscated abalone valued at R297 800 on Sunday evening. A total of 63 bags containing abalone weighing nearly 600 kg were confiscated.  Other paraphernalia was also confiscated.

How it unfolded
Sharp-eyed police “noticed that a driver was ignoring traffic signs.  The vehicle, a Hilux 4×4, was pulled over in Donkin Avenue, whereupon officers noticed black bags in the back of the vehicle. Once opened, they discovered abalone inside the bags.  When questioned the driver took them to an address in Crassula Road.

When the officers arrived at the address they found a man waiting outside the house. Seeing the police van, he ran inside the house and locked himself inside.

According to Chandler, “The officers knocked on the door and introduced themselves, to no avail. They made their way to the back of the house, where the back door was unlocked.  The officers entered the premises, while introducing themselves aloud. The man was nowhere to be found inside the house.  It was reported that he had jumped over neighbouring walls, in an attempt to evade police.”

The officers entered the garage with the first suspect and found large black bags containing abalone.
In the meantime the man who had run away had been caught and brought back to the house.

Both men reside at this address.  They were arrested and detained at Table View Police Station. They appeared in court yesterday.