Beneath the surface of a quiet Thornton neighbourhood, a sophisticated illegal operation was quietly thriving until law enforcement moved in.

A coordinated operation by the Hawks’ Economic Protected Resources (EPR) unit, working alongside the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE), led to the arrest of three suspects linked to an illicit abalone drying facility.

Hawks spokesperson Siyabulela Vukubi says they received a tip-off about an abalone-drying facility in the area.

“Information was operationalised and upon arrival at the premises, they encountered two suspects inside a Toyota bakkie that was loaded with containers consisting of abalone.”

Vukubi says the discovery of the abalone was only the beginning.

“Following additional leads, officers tracked down and arrested a third suspect believed to be connected to the operation. In the chaos, however, another individual managed to evade arrest.”

Upon counting, 3,443 units of wet abalone and 5,995 units of dried abalone were seized to the total value of over R2.5 million.

The three suspects, aged between 30 and 48, are expected to appear in the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court tomorrow, where they will face charges related to illegal dealing in abalone.