Update
LITTLE BRAK RIVER NEWS - The two men arrested on suspicion of illegally harvesting over 800 abalone near Little Brak Beach on 21 October were remanded in custody after they appeared in the Great Brak River Periodical Court on Friday 23 October.
Zanethemba Maphosa (42) and Lithemba Phakade (26) were arrested in a joint operation involving the Great Brak River Police, the Sea Border Police, the K9 Langeberg Unit, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), Mossel Bay Municipality’s Law Enforcement and K9 Unit, and Eden District Security.
The team spotted the men at about 02:00 between the railway bridge near the beach and the N2 bridge. They were carrying some bags.
After their arrest, the officials found the bags contained 872 abalone, weighing 121.1kg.
While the Mossel Bay Municipality had initially reported the estimated value of the abalone to be R161 000, the court documents have since indicated it as over R200 000.
Maphosa and Phakade are due to appear in court again on 6 November for a formal bail application.
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