Woman caught between a rock lobster and a hard place

Published 13th June 2016

A restaurant owner found with over 850 unexplained rock lobsters was one of 165 suspects arrested by the City’s enforcement agencies in the last week. Read more below:

A Glencairn restaurant owner will appear in court soon following her arrest for the illegal possession of West Coast rock lobster.

The City’s Law Enforcement Marine Unit, assisted by a Table Mountain National Park ranger, conducted inspections of restaurants on Saturday 11 June 2016. At a premises in Glencairn, they found 864 rock lobsters. The owner could not provide an invoice for the goods and offered the staff a R15 000 bribe. She was arrested for possession of rock lobster without an invoice, possession of undersized rock lobster, and attempted bribery.

‘This arrest came about because our officers turned their attention to the end of the value chain in the illegal rock lobster trade. This was a significant bust and a timely reminder that poachers enjoy support even in the local market. That the woman had the temerity to try and bribe our staff casts further doubt on her character and also makes me wonder what else she might be involved in to go to those lengths,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.On the same day, during a joint operation in Nyanga, Law Enforcement assisted with the arrest of 15 suspects for various offences, the issuing of 106 fines totalling just under R100 000, and the closure of seven illegal liquor outlets.

The Cape Town Metro Police Department arrested 37 suspects during their operations in recent days – 15 in Ottery and Bellville for drunk driving and 22 for possession of drugs.

Two of those arrested were collared in Cafda and Retreat with more than 100 dagga ‘stoppe’ between them. Two more suspects were picked up in Kalkfontein after Metro Police received a tip-off from the public. When the two saw officers approaching, they dumped their stash of tik and dagga inside a wheelie bin, but officers retrieved the drugs and booked the suspects at the Kuils River police station.

The City’s Traffic Service arrested a further 112 suspects – eight for outstanding warrants, furnishing false information, reckless and negligent driving and possession of drugs. The rest (104) were arrested for drunk driving at various roadblocks including:
· 29 arrests in Lingelethu West
· 21 arrests in Bellville South
· 12 arrests in Eerste River
· 24 arrests in Kraaifontein, including a 33-year-old pregnant woman
· 15 arrests in Muizenberg

Officers also impounded 36 vehicles and issued 1 094 fines for various transgressions.