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20 June 2007: Disturbing Trends In The Illicit Abalone Trade
Concerns about resource trafficking have recently been rising again. The continuing depletion of abalone stocks along the south coast of South Africa continues to capture the attention of the public and government agencies alike. From an ecological perspective, the future of abalone harvesting looks grim. The tendency by licensed abalone merchants to exceed quotas, as well as the unabated abalone trafficking by criminal elements, threaten the sustainability of the industry. Furthermore, the number of people involved in this activity is growing, from within and from outside coastal communities.
Traffickers have proved to be quite capable of adapting to law enforcement measures. There has been a noticeable resort to firearms, indicating the entry of violent gangs into the trafficking of marine resources. In addition to the violence and intimidation witnessed on the ground, the involvement of organised crime with a foreign element has also been detected. One theory is that Chinese dominated syndicates are keen to maintain a stranglehold over the abalone industry. Recently, three men, two Chinese citizens aged 24 and 28 and a 25- year-old South African, were arrested by the Melkbossstrand police for possession of abalone valued at R7,9 million. On Thursday, 1 February 2007 the Melkbosstrand police searched 23 Petrusa Crescent, Duynefontein, acting on information about suspected illegal abalone trading from there. The residents had reported a terrible stench emanating from the house, which was always closed. Upon entering the house, the police found 18 freezers containing shucked abalone in three of the rooms. A number of bags containing abalone alongside a scale in the kitchen indicated that the product was being weighed for packaging. A number of boxes containing packaged abalone, which were found in the lounge, confirmed this to be the case. Numerous bags containing abalone were also retrieved from one of the bathrooms and from the verandah. Two vehicles, a Toyota Camry belonging to one of the suspects and a truck, were also seized.
With the assistance of officials from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, the seized abalone was transported to the latter’s facility in Paarden Island to be processed for storage. In 2006 eleven men appeared in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court on charges of the possession of abalone valued at approximately R34 million, following a thorough investigation into illegal abalone activities in the Western Cape by dedicated detectives and the South African Revenue Service (SARS). Further charges could follow. The men were released on bail ranging between R20 000 and R150 000.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) Journal reported on one of the cases linked to this investigation where 9,3 tons of frozen shucked and dried abalone were seized at V&A; Cold Storage in Cape Town Harbor. Investigations were conducted at a residence in Farad Street, Belhar, next to the University of the Western Cape and at premises in Hercules Street, Bellville South, where three tons of shucked abalone valued at R1.2 million were seized. The same evening in Rawsonville police uncovered an abalone drying facility. Four and a half tons of dried abalone valued at R5,4 million were seized. Twelve people were arrested in these three incidents. Further investigations have shown that consignments of abalone are regularly shipped in containers to Hong Kong disguised as pilchards.
On a positive note, recent successes in intercepting contraband consignments demonstrate the value of integrated law enforcement. Cooperation between detectives and officials of other departments involved in these investigations has produced good results. Only such an approach can disrupt the complex networks that are emerging. It is also important to improve the co-operation be between South African law enforcement and authorities in neighbouring countries, some of which have been used in the past as transit points in abalone trafficking.
Thobani Matheza, Organised Crime and Money Laundering Programme, ISS Cape Town
