A Chinese national who was found guilty of smokkeling perlemoen in Melkbosstrand has been ordered to pay R1 million or spend the next five years in the mang by the Atlantis Regional Court.
Qiang Chen, 29, has pleaded guilty to an array of charges after he was busted by the Hawks nearly two years ago.
Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi says Chen was caught in October 2021 by members of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and Crime Intelligence.
“They collectively followed up on information that certain premises in Melkbosstrand were being utilized as an abalone processing facility,” Vukubi said.
“Mr Chen was then arrested during the search and seizure operation for illegally operating a fish processing establishment. During the search 5206 dried abalone were seized as well as abalone processing equipment that were found on the premises.”
Vukubi added that Chen was sentenced to pay a fine of R1m or spend five years in prison.
For other contraventions, he was sentenced to fines of R350 000 under charges related to the Marine Living Resources Act and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
Last week, two officials from the DAFF, Winston Mervin Busch and Nomvuyo Concelia Motloung, were sentenced for racketeering, corruption, money laundering and possession of abalone charges for colluding with poachers by illegally selling back the seized abalone and escorting illegal abalone shipment.