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Cape Town - A foreign national is expected to appear in the Bellville Magistrate's Court on Wednesday after he was found in possession of abalone worth over R634 000.

Government is working around the clock to fight wildlife crime and corruption, especially in the Kruger National Park, says Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister, Barbara Creecy.

A 51-year-old man is expected to appear in a Free State court after he was found with abalone shells worth more than R300,000. The man was arrested in Bayswater in Mangaung on Thursday afternoon after intelligence-led information led police to his home, Free State police spokesperson Lt-Col Thabo Covane said. "A team made up of tactical response team members and detectives arrived at the targeted unit in the identified complex at about 12.45pm." Members tactically gained access to the unit and found the male hiding inside the bedroom.

Ten suspects arrested for allegedly running an illegal perlemoen operation appeared in the Gqeberha magistrate’s court on Monday. Acting on a tip-off, the Hawks' Economic Protected Resources team in Gqeberha followed up on information about perlemoen activities at a residential premises in Algoa Park. Surveillance was conducted and law enforcement was granted a warrant to execute a search on Thursday last week, leading to the discovery of an alleged illegal operation.

Collaboration between SAPS Cookhouse and Graaff-Reinet members saw the arrest of two men in connection with the discovery of abalone worth over R3 million on Tuesday night. Police spokesperson Priscilla Naidu said at about 7pm, SAPS Cookhouse highway patrol members received information of a blue Toyota Camry and a Porsche Cayenne pulling a trailer, travelling on the R75 from Kariega towards Graaff-Reinet with illegal abalone.

A successful multidisciplinary, intelligence driven operation led to the arrest of two suspects and the confiscation of abalone to the value of R 190 000-00. It is alleged that on 15 October 2022 at about 23:00, information was received from the colleagues of Queenstown K9 and CI with regard to armed, suspects traveling with an Isuzu bakkie fully loaded with abalones from the direction of Queenstown to Maletswai. Members from James Calata SAPS, Maletswai, Aliwal North, Aliwal North K9, DOCC, TRT and Aliwal North stock unit were activated as a team and intervened.

With environmental crime ranking as the world’s third largest illegal trade, INTERPOL has joined calls at the United for Wildlife (UfW) global summit for enhanced collective efforts against the criminal syndicates behind wildlife crime and its impact on communities and biodiversity. Poaching and trafficking undermine the rule of law and economic development.