FISHERIES officers uncovered what is believed to be an illegal abalone processing operation in Geelong yesterday, with tens of thousands of dollars worth of product seized.
The search warrant on the residential address in North Valley Rd, Highton, was carried out simultaneously with another one at a Braybrook address, while Fisheries officers also inspected a property in Gravel Pits Rd, South Geelong, and two locations in Kensington, The Geelong Advertiser reports.
Fisheries Victoria chief investigator Murray Donaldson said a 60-year-old Braybrook man was expected to be charged on summons with respect to fisheries offences under the Fisheries Acts and Regulations.
Mr Donaldson said the destination of the abalone, which was tinned, was unknown at this stage.
He said the product could be exported or sent somewhere within the domestic market.
The Geelong Advertiser noticed that one of the boxes had Indonesia written on it.
Mr Donaldson said Fisheries Victoria had been investigating the Braybrook man for several months and yesterday's operation was the culmination of that.
"There is evidence of processed abalone, labels, freezers and other equipment which will be seized," Mr Donaldson said.
Hundreds of boxes of abalone could be seen at the Highton address yesterday.
Mr Donaldson told The Geelong Advertiser that officers needed to determine where the fish that had been found had come from.
"We also need to determine whether it has been processed on any of the premises we have investigated and that will determine what charges will be laid," he said.
