Biggest abalone syndicate busted

Imogen Vollenhoven

1 November 2012

A series of highway roadblocks and car chases, which saw suspected poachers flee their cars, snitch on one another when they were caught led to the downfall of one of the country’s biggest suspected abalone syndicates.

The alleged leader of the enterprise, Chinese national Ran Wei, has been charged in absentia.
 
But yesterday three other alleged syndicate leaders, Frank Barends, Christiaan Crous and Donovan Dickson, were among 25 accused in the dock in the Western Cape High Court, where they face 534 charges some of which include illegal possession of abalone, racketeering and corruption.

The enterprise was based in Gansbaai but allegedly operated nationwide.The case against the 25, which also includes three police officers, a former police officer, Barend’s wife Josephine and his bookkeeper Sarah Dunsdon, was postponed to November the 12^th 2012