Four of the ten men arrested in August 2016 after a police foil of their operation of R4-million worth of eMalahleni fish have walked free.
The cops said the Vosman Magistrates Court on Thursday this week found the four men not guilty of illegal fishing and were let free.
But the six were sentenced and five of which were given 3 months to spend in jail or the option of a R2000 fine.
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One of the men was given a lighter sentence – two years imprisonment but was suspended for five years, meaning the man will be out of jail and will be expected to not commit a similar crime in five years.
Officials said the men were charged with contravening the Mpumalanga nature conservation act of 1998, fishing without licence, with nets and possession of protected yellow fish.
Officials released the names of the sentenced criminals as Alfreld Lubisi, whose two years sentence was suspended for five years, Malayi Barnet, who was slapped with a R2000 fine or spend 3 months in jail as well as James Seabelo, Elias Nkuna and Jaros Moyana who also got the 3 months sentence or R2000 fine.
When the ten men were arrested in August 2016, Facebook users complained that the men were not supposed to be arrested because fish do not belong to anybody.
SEE HERE: Facebook users attack cops for foil of R4-million worth of fish
The men, between 29 and 40 years of age, were found with two vans full of fish and were arrested in Vosman when they were about to meet the buyer.
(edited by MLM)
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