A man who had been arrested in Bayswater in May last year was sentenced for the illegal possession of abalone in the Bloemfontein Regional Court on Monday, 25 March.
The Ghanaian Sakyi Samuel (51) was arrested on 18 May 2023 at a house in Bayswater after police teams had received information and executed a search warrant. They found gas cylinders, buckets, fans, a scale, and other equipment used for processing abalone, as well as abalone with an estimated value of R314 755, at the premises.
The Free State head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Maj. Gen. Mokgadi Bokaba, has applauded all members involved for their swift response to the discovery of the crime.
Samuel was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of R60 000.
