The Acting Provincial Head of the Hawks in the Western Cape, Brigadier Mushavhaduvha Ramovha welcomed sentences handed down by the Khayelitsha Regional Court to convicted abalone poachers. “We hope these sentences will go a long way in the fight against abalone poaching in our province”.
Yihang Li (32), a Chinese national and Jan Jacobs (43), pleaded guilty today to multiple charges of Possession of illegal abalone. The convicted abalone poachers have been ordered to each pay R100 000 into the Criminal Asset Recovery Account (CARA), and that all abalone that were seized during the search-and-seizure operation be forfeited to the state.
Furthermore they were each sentenced to five years’ imprisonment wholly suspended for five years, with stringent conditions on one count of contravening the Marine Living Resources Act 18 of 1998. They also received and additional fine of R200 000 with an alternative two-year sentence, wholly suspended for five years with conditions for contravening Regulation 36(1)(b) of Regulation as promulgated under Government notice.
They were both arrested in Table View on 14 October 2020 during a search-and-seizure operation executed by a multidisciplinary team that included the Western Cape Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation, Crime Intelligence as well as officials from Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environmental Affairs (DFFE) from the Western Cape.
Meanwhile, on a similar yet unrelated matter, Qing Yun Jiang (56) appeared in the same court on the 10 November 2021. He was also ordered to pay R200 000.00 into the Criminal Asset Recovery Account (CARA) and that the abalone seized during the search and seizure be confiscated to the state as well.
Jiang was arrested in Millerton, during an integrated takedown operation by members of the Hawks Organised Crime Investigation assisted by Crime Intelligence, K9 as well as members of the Department of Environmental Forestry and Fisheries on the 18 May 2021.His co-accused was cleared on all charges.
He was sentenced to five years imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years with condition on each of the two counts of contravening the Marine Living Resources Act. Jiang was additionally fined R200 000 with an alternative two-year sentence, wholly suspended for five years with conditions for contravening Regulation 36(1)(b) of Regulation as promulgated under Government notice.
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