The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) took possession of a consignment of 2 627.1kg of illegally harvested, processed and exported abalone after it returned from Hong Kong on March 27, 2012.
This shipment that docked in Hong Kong on 10 March 2011 and valued by the Hong Kong authorities at R27million, is the first consignment to return to South Africa after it had docked.
One man was arrested in Hong Kong for his involvement and was fined $45 000. No arrests were made in South Africa yet.
Since 2007, DAFF, working with the South African Police Services, the National Prosecuting Authority and the South African Revenue Services, successfully managed to have three other consignments that were still en-route to the East returned to South Africa.
This brings the number of abalone, destined for the East that were seized and confiscated since 2007, to more than 500 000 units.
