Cape Town – An abalone poacher who has been sought by the police for four years handed himself over on Monday.
Shahabaz Mohamed was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, suspended for five years in the Bellville Regional Court.
He was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment for contravention of the Marine Resources Act, two years imprisonment for possession of abalone without a permit, and six months imprisonment for failure to comply with conditions of bail.
It was ruled that the abalone must be forfeited to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.
According to provincial police spokesperson Ndakhe Gwala, Mohamed was arrested in 2017 when the police received information and raided his premises in Mozart Street in Panorama.
“They found wet and dry abalone with an estimated street value of R4 million.
“He was arrested and charged in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act, the abalone was confiscated.
“The then 34 year old failed to appear in court in 2018 and a warrant for arrest was issued but he skipped the country.
“On October 3, 2022, Mohammed handed himself to the investigating officer detective Warrant Officer Arnoldus Wiese and he was brought before the court,” Gwala said.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
IOL