Four foreign nationals are expected to appear in the Benoni Magistrate’s Court this morning following the discovery of abalone in Benoni.
The suspects, one Chinese national and three Mozambican nationals, were arrested on Monday morning during a raid at an illegal drying facility in Rynfield, Benoni.
More than 50 000 units of abalone were discovered.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries spokesperson, Lionel Adendorf, said that during the joint operation — involving officials from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the South African Police Service — 17 925 units of dry abalone (total weight of 1 366kg) and 36 500 units of wet abalone (total weight of 3 263kg) were confiscated, as well as drying equipment.
