WESTERN CAPE – Hirsi Mohammed (28), Ismael Mohammed (37) and Nestary Million (25) were sentenced by the Khayelitsha Regional Court on Friday 27 August 2021 after they entered into a plea agreement with the State. The accused were charged for operating an illegal fish processing establishment and illegal possession of firearms as well ammunition.
This comes after their arrest by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime team together with officials from the Department of Forestry Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) in September 2019 in the Plattekloof and in Knoelvlei in October 2020 respectively in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act. Abalone and two pistols with ammunition were seized.
Hrisi and Million were each sentenced to eight (8) years imprisonment for possession of firearm of which half of the sentence was suspended. They were also sentenced to two years for possession of ammunition which will run concurrently with the first sentence. They received a suspended sentence for illegal fish processing charges. Ismael was sentenced to a fine of R20 000 or two (2) years imprisonment for illegal fish processing charges.
Effectively, Hrisi and Million will serve four years direct imprisonment.
