Flying squad brings poaching suspect in

A suspected abalone poacher made a run for it near Gulu beach outside East London on Tuesday, but was brought down by the flying squad.

Harbour and environmental police also took part in the operation, said police spokesperson Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala.

She said three men were arrested with a haul of abalone worth R35,000 at Gulu Beach.

East London port of entry (POE) police were ably backed up by the flying squad when the suspect broke free and fled across the busy R72 into the bush.

Mqala said the officers confiscated 153 abalone weighing 53.8 kg.

They also seized three pairs of divers’ booties, masks, tools for lifting sea life off the rocks and ocean floor, lifters and three neoprene wetsuits, said Mqala.

The suspects were spotted by a vigilant POE police officer, Sergeant Philip Swanepoel.

“He approached the suspects with the assistance of the other POE members.

“They asked what was inside the bag and when the suspects could not explain, one man fled. Back-up was called,” Mqala said.

The three will appear at the East London Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday to face charges of illegal possession of abalone.

Prominent Indwe liquor outlet owner Sheng Chang, 55, popularly known as “Danny”, was shot and killed during an armed robbery at his bottle store on Thursday.

Aliwal North police spokesperson Captain Ursula Roelofse said: “It is alleged that on Thursday at about 7pm at Tilnery Street, Indwe, Mr Chang, a well-known business man from Indwe, was busy closing his liquor outlet and had an undisclosed amount of cash with him.

“It was at this time that he was approached by four people who fired shots and robbed him of his cash.”

Roelofse said the thugs fled the scene after the incident.