The swift response and coordinated efforts of members attached to Kariega SAPS led to the arrest of a 38-year-old Zimbabwean national on a charge of possession of protected cycads in contravention of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA). On Monday, 29 June 2026, at approximately 14:00, Kariega StockTheft and Endangered Species (STESU) members received information from a local farmer that several suspects had been seen removing cycads from a farm and carrying them towards the R75, approximately 15 to 20 kilometres outside Kariega. STESU members immediately responded and conducted observation and waylay operations in the area while the farmer continued to monitor the suspects from a distance. At about 23:30 that evening, members noticed a suspicious vehicle stop alongside the R75 near the area where the cycads had been moved during the day. As members approached to identify the vehicle, assistance was requested from the Kariega K9 Unit and Visible Policing members. A short while later, the suspect vehicle drove past, followed by the farmer’s vehicle. The suspect vehicle suddenly pulled over, and two occupants fled into nearby bushes. The driver was successfully apprehended, while the two remaining suspects escaped on foot. Police recovered 151 protected cycads of various sizes with an estimated value of approximately R1.5 million. A Mazda BT-50 bakkie, valued at approximately R100 000, believed to have been used in the commission of the offence, as well as a Samsung cellular phone, were also seized.