1 848 West Coast Rock Lobster tails were found in white Mitsubishi and confiscated.
It was a schoolboy error that backfired spectacularly. What began as a routine intervention for illegal public drinking ended in a massive marine contraband bust this weekend, after an audacious smuggler drew attention to a vehicle packed with nearly 2,000 poached lobster tails.
The bizarre arrest was just one of at least 406 made by Cape Town’s law enforcement agencies in a relentless, high-stakes week on the city's streets.
On Sunday, 7 June, officers from the Marine Unit were patrolling the Hout Bay and Wynberg areas when they spotted a group openly drinking alcohol in a parking area near Victoria Hospital.
But when officers searched a white Mitsubishi at the scene, the reason for the suspects' casual demeanour turned to outright shock. Stashed inside the vehicle were 1,848 West Coast Rock Lobster tails alongside R17,600 in cash. A 69-year-old resident from Hout Bay was promptly arrested and detained at Wynberg police station (SAPS).
