A 35-year-old man was arrested for being in the illegal possession of protected plants during a roadblock that was conducted on the N14 between Pofadder and Springbok.
A 35-YEAR-old man was arrested for being in the illegal possession of protected plants during a roadblock that was conducted on the N14 between Pofadder and Springbok.
Northern Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Sergio Kock said the Springbok Stock Theft and Endangered Species unit, Springbok Highway Patrol and Provincial SAPS Corporate Communication conducted a vehicle checkpoint (VCP) on February 1, at around 11pm.
“The members confiscated 5,579 Conophytum plants that were being transported by the suspect,” said Kock.
“The suspect was travelling from Pofadder en route to Springbok when he allegedly tossed out a black bag with the protected plants from his vehicle before being flagged off the road by SAPS members.”
Kock added that the suspect was arrested and was expected to appear before the Springbok Magistrate’s Court soon.
The acting district commander for Namakwa, Colonel Schalk Andrews, commended the team for their “vigilance and determination in addressing the poaching of protected plants”.
“The SAPS will continue, with the assistance and co-operation of external role-players and the community, to protect the fauna and flora indigenous to the Namakwa area,” Kock said.
