GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The Hawks in George arrested have arrested eight suspects between the ages of 45 and 65 believed to be part of an abalone poaching syndicate. 

A a company that was used as an instrumentality, was also charged. 

Hawks spokesperson, Zinzi Hani, says the suspects were arrested during a takedown operation with a series of tracing operation across the Western Cape on Monday 10 June.

Warrants of arrests were executed by the multi-disciplinary team led by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation team (Hawks) in the Western Cape, supported by the Public Order Police and the Anti-Gang Unit attached to the Overberg District.

"The seven suspects were arrested in the Cape Peninsula, Overberg and Hessequa areas. The criminal grouping was mainly operating in the Western Cape and Gauteng," said Hani.

All seven suspects will be facing charges of the transportation, illegal storage of abalone, operating an illegal fish processing establishment and the illegal exporting of abalone.

The suspects will also be charged in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act for money laundering and for managing the affairs of a criminal enterprise through a pattern of racketeering.

The first suspect was traced and arrested at his residence in Brits in the North West in May this year.

The accused, Jianxian Wu was then brought to George to make his first appearance at the George Regional Court on 21 May. Wu remains in custody pending a formal bail application and to join his co-accused on this matter.

Since the start of this investigation in 2016 a total of 25,3 tons of abalone were seized from the suspects to the estimated value of over R37-million.

A total of 12 cases were registered with a combined total of 77 charges.

The accused are scheduled to appear in the George Magistrate's Court on Tuesday 11 June.

Group Editors is awaiting an answer as to why the accused are appearing in George.

‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’