IN CUSTODY: Morne Blignault. Picture: Supplied
Massive, factory-like operation at PE farm described as five appear in court
The inner workings of an alleged perlemoen ring that reaped hundreds of millions of rands were spelt out in court documents yesterday, when five people arrested in predawn raids the day before stood side by side in a prison court.
Among them was the alleged mastermind of what is believed to be one of the biggest smuggling syndicates in South Africa.
According to the court documents, which gave an inside look at the factory-like workings of the massive perlemoen operation, each of the suspects had a specific job to do in the enterprise.
Whether it was cooking, packaging, storing or transporting the endangered species, each one of them played a pivotal role in the multimillion-rand operation, according to the police.
Perlemoen, gas and salt were transported to the processing establishment at a Motherwell farm, after which the molluscs were cooked, dried and packed at a warehouse.
The dry product was then transported to a leased house in Bridgemead, Port Elizabeth.
As the suspected syndicate head – former nightclub owner and businessman Morne Blignault, 44 – and six others (including two Chinese nationals who are already serving sentences after they were bust in 2014) appeared in the St Albans Prison court yesterday, police said further arrests were imminent, including one this morning.
The prosecution said Blignault’s estranged wife, Marshelle, 38, had already been cited on the charge sheet as an accused.
Blignault, of Kragga Kamma, Jacob Naumann, 34, of Loerie, Frederick Nance, 24, of Woodlands, Petrus Smith, 31, of Sydenham, and Willie Nance, 56, of Woodlands, were told they would remain in custody until next week, when they will have a chance to apply for bail.
Members of another suspected syndicate – allegedly headed by suspected mastermind Julian Brown – will appear in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court on similar charges today.
They were among the people arrested in Tuesday’s raids. The arrests follow a two-year probe of perlemoen smuggling between South Africa and China.
A staggering R500-million had been made by the syndicate over an undisclosed period which included the duration of the investigation.
Blignault and his co-accused are represented by well-known attorney Alwyn Griebenow.
Chinese nationals Huang Zhenyong, 31, and Pan Kekun, 52, forfeited their right to apply for bail as they are serving three years’ imprisonment after they were bust two years ago with perlemoen valued at more than R5-million on Oliphants Kop farm near Grassridge in Motherwell. The farm was allegedly leased by Naumann. Griebenow also represented Zhenyong and Kekun at the time.
It is believed the breakthrough in that case led police to the arrests of Blignault, Naumann, Smith
and Frederick and Willie Nance early on Tuesday.
They are charged under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, meaning they face a lengthy term if convicted.
According to a detailed charge sheet, the Blignaults and Naumann set up the illegal fish-processing establishment on Oliphant’s Kop farm.
Naumann allegedly leased the warehouse on the farm and assisted the Blignaults to secure and arrange the transportation, storing and processing of the perlemoen.
The state alleges that Frederick and Willie Nance, Smith, Zhenyong and Kekun were employed by the enterprise.
Frederick Nance and Smith had to transport the perlemoen, gas and salt to the processing establishment.
Zhenyong and Kekun allegedly received, processed, cooked, dried and packed the perlemoen before Willie Nance transported it to a house he leased in Waterford Street, Bridgemead.
“The pattern of racketeering activity is vested in the planned, ongoing, continuous and repeated direct or indirect involvement in the illegal collecting, possession, transportation of perlemoen to the said illegal fishing establishment and the direct or indirect involvement in the processing thereof at the establishment between July 2013 to August 2014,” the charge sheet reads. The accused face a string of charges, including racketeering.
State advocate Martin le Roux said he would oppose bail on July 7.
Brown, 29, is expected to appear in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court today with Eugene Victor.
Two other men have still to be arrested – one of them is serving a sentence for an unrelated perlemoen conviction.
Brown was the subject of an SA Revenue Services lifestyle audit and was ordered by the Port Elizabeth High Court last month to comply with a lifestyle questionnaire after failing to comply when it was issued last year.
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