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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau

A 36-YEAR-OLD Zimbabwean has been jailed for an effective 26 years by a Lephalale Regional Court for trying to smuggle out of South Africa via Botswana a contraband of dried abalone shellfish worth R8,3 million.

Trading of Abalone shellfish, which is regarded as an endangered species, is prohibited in most SADC countries.

The shellfish is a unique type of snail classified under the gastropod Phylum-Mollusca and is often referred to as the sea ear because of its flattened shape. This type of seafood is considered a delicacy in Asia.

Raphael Ngulube was arrested in 2022 after having escaped arrest at the South African and Botswana border post in 2018.

Following the interception of the Hino truck at the Groblers-bridge Port of Entry, Ngulube disappeared only to be arrested four years later while arriving in South Africa on other business.

The matter was investigated by South Africa’s specialised police unit, the Hawks.

Hawks spokesperson for Limpopo province, Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa said Ngulube had been convicted on five charges.

“For count one he was charged for landing, selling, receiving or Possession of fish taken in contravention of the Act MLRA 18 of 1988, count 2: Entering in the Republic of South Africa without a valid passport, count 3: Unlawful acts in relation to registration plates, registration mark or certain documents, count 4: Money Laundering and count 5: Failure to declare all goods acquired abroad or prohibited under law that was into the Republic,” he said.

“He was sentenced as follows: count 1: three years’ imprisonment, count 2: two years’ imprisonment, count 3: three years’ imprisonment, count 4: ten years’ imprisonment and count 5: eight years’ imprisonment.

Sentences in count 1,2,3,4 and 5 are to run concurrently.  Truck that was used during the commission of a crime was seized and forfeited to the state”.

Warrant Officer Mmuroa said the truck had also been seized as part of the sentence.

He said the accused was remanded in custody throughout the trial proceedings and pleaded guilty to all the charges.

The offence was committed in October 2018, when border post officials stopped a white Hino truck with two occupants at Groblers-bridge Port of Entry.

“The driver was requested to park on the ramp. Both driver and co-driver (accused) abandoned the truck and ran away,” said Warrant Officer Mmuroa.

“The police searched the truck and noticed a self-made concealed compartment fabricated underneath the loading bin.

The compartment was opened and they found 135 bags (potato bags) full of dried abalone weighing 1353.21 kilograms and valued at R8 300 160. 00.”

He said the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation was summoned to the scene.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the truck was destined to Zimbabwe via Botswana and a case docket was opened, registered at Tom Burke police station and handed to Hawks for investigations.

“The massive operation to search the suspects was launched by the Hawks. Ngulube was arrested by the police at Groblers-bridge Port of Entry while entering South Africa in December 2022,” said Warrant Officer Mmuroa.

“He was taken to Phalala Magistrates’ Court and the case was transferred to Lephalale Regional Court for hearing. The accused was remanded in custody throughout the trial proceedings”.

The Acting Provincial Head of the Hawks in Limpopo Province Brigadier Desmond Alexander hailed his team for the hard work.

-X @tupeyo