PORT ALFRED – In less than 48 hours, K9 member, Warrant Officer Tertius Neethling and his buddy, Adze outsmarted suspected abalone poachers and recovered diving equipment, confiscated 477 units of abalone and arrested three suspects on the R72 near Fish River on Friday, 22 April 2022.

On the mentioned date, at about 04:00, Warrant Officer Neethling with his companion, Adze (a four-year-old Belgian Shepherd police patrol dog) were conducting routine patrols on route R72 near Fish River (Port Alfred), when they noticed the driver of a white Ford bakkie that was parked on the roadside, behaving suspiciously.

As the K9 patrol vehicle was approaching, the bakkie sped off at high speed and a chase ensued. During the chase, the bakkie collided with another vehicle, veered off the road and came to a halt. The three occupants in the bakkie alighted and started running in different directions.

Warrant Officer Neethling released his dependable, and energetic companion, Adze to assist with the chase in between the bushes. Neethling managed to apprehend one suspect, while the speedy Adze cornered the other two men to a thorny shrub. The three were detained following the recovery of 477 units of abalone inside their bakkie. The abalone is valued R162 270-00, and with a weight of 90.15 kilograms. Police also found six (06) full diving sets with cylinders valued R78 000-00 and impounded a bakkie.

The three men aged between 20 and 25 are due to appear in the Port Alfred magistrate’s court on Monday, 25 April 2022, on charges of Contravening the Marine Living Resource Act 18 of 1998 Reg 36 – illegal possession of abalone.

Source: South African Police Service