Cape Town – Cape Town Metro Police officers opened fire during a dramatic vehicle stop in Sea Point on Wednesday morning after a confrontation with suspected abalone poachers escalated into a short high-speed chase that ended with five arrests.
Dramatic video footage circulating on social media shows officers boxing in a vehicle outside the Point Centre on Regent Road. Officers attempted to remove the occupants, with one trying to open the driver’s door. The driver reversed while a rear passenger door was still open, then sped away. An officer is seen pointing a firearm at an occupant in the back seat as the vehicle flees. A shot was fired towards the tyres as Metro Police gave chase.
The vehicle fled up Kei Apple Road before crashing into a pavement. Its occupants were arrested shortly afterwards. Bullet casings were later found on Sea Point Main Road.
According to SAPS Western Cape spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk, the incident was linked to illegal abalone. “According to reports, in one vehicle Metro Police members found a large amount of abalone and arrested three suspects for the possession of abalone without a permit,” van Wyk said. “A second vehicle that was with the suspects sped away and Metro Police members gave chase.”
Two people from the fleeing vehicle were arrested for failing to comply with a lawful instruction and for reckless and negligent driving. Metro Police spokesperson Ruth Solomons confirmed those two men face additional charges of attempted murder, reckless driving, disobeying a lawful instruction and resisting arrest.
The operation began earlier that morning in Camps Bay after Metro Police received information about suspected illegal abalone poaching. Officers from the Safety and Security Information Management System (SSIMS) Unit, supported by the SAPS Flying Squad, tracked the suspects. Abalone was recovered from one of the vehicles involved. The quantity and estimated value have not yet been confirmed.
The Sea Point City Improvement District (CID) welcomed the arrests. COO Heather Tager praised the Metro Police and intelligence unit for their work, noting that illegal abalone poaching remains a serious concern along the Atlantic Seaboard.
The suspects are expected to appear in court. Further details, including the exact amount of abalone seized, are still being finalised by authorities.
