Perlemoen Smuggling..pilots arrested? [Archive]

Gunship

8th Oct 2002, 06:31

The Info station (http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/NorthernProvince/0,1113,2-7-834_1267859,00.html)

Hoedspruit - Limpopo police are questioning a pilot and a crewmember of a rented Swaziland military plane - carrying a large load of illegal perlemoen (abalone), en route to Zimbabwe - after the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing at the air force base in Hoedspruit.

Police suspect that the two men from Swaziland may have unwittingly been involved in the perlemoen smuggling.

Superintendent Ronel Otto, police spokesperson, said the plane was on its way to Harare on Saturday morning about 11:00, when one of its engines started giving problems and the pilot had to make an emergency landing. The pilot was already over Phalaborwa and first attempted to land at the town, but airport personnel advised him to turn back to Hoedspruit where he landed at the military base.

A thorough search of the plane was conducted, according to strict air force procedures regarding freight documents and cargo of international planes, as set out by the customs and excise division of the department of internal affairs.

Boxes of perlemoen were found on the plane although the freight documents indicated that the cargo was "frozen fish". On only one of the freight documents, the word "abalone" was added in brackets.

Otto said police confiscated 90 boxes of frozen perlemoen. The mass of the perlemoen was 1 890kg, which meant that the value could be estimated at around R2m.

The cargo plane carrying the abalone was rented by Scab-air in Swaziland to carry a load of "frozen fish" from Manzini in Swaziland to Harare in Zimbabwe. From there it would have been transported to Hong Kong, where perlemoen is a highly sought after dish in restaurants.

The perlemoen was apparently delivered to the airport at Manzini by a truck from Mozambique. Police suspect, however, that the perlemoen initially came from the Cape coast.

Customs and excise officials confiscated the plane and the perlemoen. The perlemoen will be kept in a fridge at the air force's food factory in Hoedspruit until it is handed over to the police's unit for endangered species for further investigation.

The perlemoen find is the largest ever found in Limpopo and the second in a year. Otto said police consider this unexpected find as a breakthrough in their attempt to curb perlemoen smuggling that is stripping the South African coast.

The find comes exactly one year after a pilot from Gauteng, Tony Robinson (55), died near Weipe when the plane he was using to transport 800kg of illegal perlemoen to Harare crashed on a farm and the boxes of perlemoen crushed him to death.

The boxes in which the perlemoen found at the weekend were packed, were the same as those used in the Weipe cargo. Police are investigating a link between the two incidents.

Police are also investigating the possibility that several other loads of South African perlemoen may have been transported to Hong Kong via Swaziland and Zimbabwe. Indications are that similar flights have occurred since August last year.

4granted

10th Oct 2002, 09:34

I was speaking to some friends who live in the sleepy hollow of Hermanus the other day. Some interesting things going on there re the Perlemoen smuggling....
Apparently the Scorpions(crack police team) have been working in the area and lots of very influential people have been....well theyre on bail for big money....
I remember many years ago being approached by someone re: what was the biggest a/c that could take off out of Hermanus and fly to say for eg. SWAZILAND???!!! hahah
I had also heard a rumour that the problems of changing the forex that was being paid for the perlemoen offshore (on a boat 13Kms out to sea) was proving to be a problem and that cocaine was the preffered form of payment????? rumours of course...
My parents live in Hermanus and it being a small town and all...yes I know, you mustnt believe everything that you hear....
Im outa here
hb4g