City of Cape Town law enforcement officials confiscated abalone worth more than R700 000 and arrested 11 suspected poachers in Simon’s Town on Friday morning.

Law enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dayson said the Marine Unit, in a joint operation with officials at Table Mountain National Parks and the Department of Agriculture, Forestries and Fisheries, arrested the suspects on charges of abalone poaching.

“The officers, acting on a tip-off, observed about 16 divers in the water in the Simon’s Town area,” he said.

Officials tracked some of the divers after they left in two separate vehicles.

Bags of abalone containing 1 257 shucked and 196 unshucked abalone was found.

Source: News24