Cape Town - After being on the run for four years, abalone poacher Shahabaz Mohamed, was sentenced at the Bellville Regional Court after handing himself over to police on Monday morning.
Police spokesperson Ndakhe Gwala said Mohamed had been sentenced to seven years imprisonment, suspended for five years.
“The accused was arrested in 2017 when police received information and raided his premises in Mozart Street, 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 of arrest was issued but he had skipped the country. On 3 October 2022, Mohammed handed himself to the investigating officer Detective Warrant Officer Arnoldus Wiese and he was brought before court,” said Gwala.
Mohamed was found guilty on three counts and was sentenced to five years imprisonment for contravention of the Marine Resources Act, two years imprisonment for possession of abalone without permit and six months for failure to comply with conditions of bail.
It was further ruled that the abalone must be forfeited to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Cape Times