Three suspected abalone smugglers appeared in the Karasburg Magistrate's Court on Wednesday after allegedly smuggling abalone worth about N$1.7 million across the Orange River. Well-known residents of Warmbad, Laurentius Basson, Petrus Alexander Bock and Mannetjie Harold Schultz appeared before Magistrate Melissa Mungunda who postponed their case to July 23 and 24. Esther Jafet appeared for the state. The accused are charged, among other things, with helping Chinese nationals smuggle 407 kg of abalone across the Orange River in July 2022. They are also facing charges of kidnapping and violating the Prevention of Organized Crime Act (Poca). According to information, the accused allegedly assisted two Chinese nationals, Xiaohui Wu and Xinda Li, in smuggling the abalone across the Orange River with an inflatable boat, while at least one other Chinese citizen involved was reportedly left on the South African bank of the Orange River at Witbank. The two Chinese were arrested on July 19, 2022, at Warmbad. "A bakkie belonging to Basson was reportedly used to transport the abalone from the Orange River to Warmbad and it was seized," a reliable source said.