logo
Police crackdown: R1. 9 million worth of abalone seized in Northern Cape farmhouse

Police crackdown: R1. 9 million worth of abalone seized in Northern Cape farmhouse

IOL News28-04-2025

Five suspects are expected to appear in the local court in the Northern Cape after police raided a farmhouse and seized over R1.9 million worth of abalone.
The suspects, two Malawian nationals and three Chinese nationals have been arrested on charges of illegal possession of abalone.
Provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Cherelle Ehlers said an operation by the Provincial Organised Crime Investigations Unit was conducted on Saturday, April 26, at a farmhouse in Douglas.
'The team acted on intelligence received regarding suspicious activities at the property. During a thorough search of the premises, officers discovered several containers containing a substantial amount of abalone,' Ehlers said.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Shepherd Bushiri's wife Mary appointed as Miss Malawi governance committee chair
Shepherd Bushiri's wife Mary appointed as Miss Malawi governance committee chair

TimesLIVE

timea day ago

  • TimesLIVE

Shepherd Bushiri's wife Mary appointed as Miss Malawi governance committee chair

Mary Bushiri, wife of fugitive prophet Shepherd Bushiri, has been appointed chairperson of the Miss Malawi governance committee. She's one of the people selected to help improve the organisation. 'The committee's role is to provide strategic guidance to the organising committee, ensuring the upholding of high standards and the national crown's reputation, the organisation said. 'Our vision is to position Miss Malawi as a global brand that is sustainable, showcases outstanding young women and fosters a lasting legacy.' The organisation described Mary as a 'respected woman of faith' who would bring her blend of spiritual guidance and professionalism as a chartered accountant to the committee. Mary has been embroiled in controversies in South Africa due to her husband's alleged wrongdoings. In 2020 the couple fled to Malawi after being granted bail on charges including fraud, money laundering, violating bail conditions and rape. In March, a Malawian court granted the South African authorities permission to extradite the Bushiris to South Africa. However, the couple has indicated their intention to appeal. While Mary's role is not clear in her husband's alleged wrongdoing, she has stood by him throughout the controversy. They have both denied any wrongdoing.

Court orders RAF to pay R1.4m to undocumented Malawian
Court orders RAF to pay R1.4m to undocumented Malawian

The South African

time2 days ago

  • The South African

Court orders RAF to pay R1.4m to undocumented Malawian

The Western Cape High Court has dismissed the Road Accident Fund's (RAF) application to rescind a R1.4 million payment awarded to an undocumented Malawian man injured in a car crash. IOL reported that, Charles Jeka Chipofya, a Malawian national, has lived in South Africa since 1994. He married a South African woman in 2008, and they have two children. Despite his long stay, he failed to secure South African citizenship due to what the court noted as widespread abuse of the system by some foreign nationals. Chipofya suffered serious injuries in a road accident in Plettenberg Bay in September 2016. He filed a claim with RAF, and in November 2022, both parties agreed to a proposed settlement of over R1.4 million. A court confirmed the order in January 2023. However, RAF later withdrew its consent, claiming it had discovered Chipofya's undocumented status only after the judgment. The RAF asked the court to rescind the order, claiming it was misled. RAF said Chipofya submitted a passport under the name 'Charles Chipeta,' raising concerns when compared to court documents identifying him as 'Charles Jeka Chipofya.' Upon investigation, RAF found that he held two passports with different names. When questioned, Chipofya claimed a data capture error caused the inconsistency. RAF rejected this explanation, calling it improbable. RAF's investigation showed that one passport had expired in 2012, and the other appeared to have been issued after the accident. Movement records did not show Chipofya legally exiting or re-entering the country. RAF argued this suggested he was either not in South Africa at the time of the accident or was staying in the country illegally. Despite these concerns, the court ruled against RAF. The judge found no evidence that the initial order was granted in error or that Chipofya acted fraudulently. The court upheld the R1.4 million award. RAF warned that allowing undocumented immigrants to claim damages would place an undue burden on the state. The court maintained that it lawfully granted the order based on the facts available at the time. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.

China issues bounty for hackers it says are linked to Taiwan
China issues bounty for hackers it says are linked to Taiwan

Daily Maverick

time2 days ago

  • Daily Maverick

China issues bounty for hackers it says are linked to Taiwan

The public security bureau in the Chinese city of Guangzhou has put up an undisclosed bounty for more than 20 people it suspects carried out cyber attacks in China, the official news agency Xinhua said on Thursday, stepping up accusations against Taipei. The authorities said the hackers were linked to the Taiwan government and named one of them as Ning Enwei. There was no information on the size of the bounty in Chinese state media. Chinese authorities accused Taiwan of organising, planning and premeditating attacks on key sectors such as military, aerospace, government departments, energy and transportation, maritime affairs, science and technology research firms in China as well as in special administration regions Hong Kong and Macau, Xinhua said. Xinhua, citing a cybersecurity report, said the Taiwan 'information, communication and digital army' has cooperated with U.S. anti-Chinese forces to conduct public opinion and cognitive warfare against China, secretly instigate revolution and attempt to disrupt public order in China. Taiwan's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A senior Taiwan security official told Reuters that the Chinese allegations were invented, saying Beijing was trying to shift the focus from Czech and European scrutiny over alleged Chinese hacking activities there. 'They fabricated a false narrative to shift the focus. It's a very typical behaviour by the Chinese Communist Party,' the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter. 'No amount of storytelling can change the fact that Beijing is not only a regional trouble maker, but also a common international threat to the online world.' China also said Taiwan had longstanding cooperation with the U.S. National Security Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency and other intelligence agencies for the United States' 'Asia-Pacific Strategy', calling it Taiwan's attempt to gain independence through relying on the United States. 'The US intelligence department has long provided personnel training and technical equipment support for Taiwan's 'information, communication and digital army', and many police stations have sent 'hunting' teams to Taiwan, to launch a cyber attacks on China,' according to a social media post by an account linked to Chinese state television. Last week authorities in Guangzhou, the capital of the southern Guangdong province, attributed a cyberattack on an unnamed technology company to the Taiwan government, saying Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party supported the 'overseas hacker organisation' responsible. The accusation prompted Taiwan to blame China for peddling false information, saying it was China who was carrying out hacking against the island. China views Taiwan as its own territory. Taiwan's democratically elected government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims. Chinese courts and legal bodies have no jurisdiction in separately governed Taiwan, whose government has repeatedly complained about Beijing's 'long armed jurisdiction' efforts.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store