South Africa's Abalone Underworld
Shuhood Abader spent years risking his life to hunt a strange and lucrative sea creature. He became a part of a dangerous multi-million dollar industry, and struggled to leave it.
What have giant sea snails got to do with gang violence and crystal meth in Cape Town?
For over 15 years, Shuhood Abader was a poacher, risking his life in Cape Town’s shark-infested waters to hunt a strange sea creature known as abalone. It's a type of rare shellfish that's so sought after that the illegal trade is now a multi-million dollar industry. It's a dangerous world that Shuhood struggled to leave behind.
Reporter: Gavin Fischer
Producer: Maryam Maruf
Image: A diver swimming over poached abalone shells in Cape Town's Table Mountain National Park
Credit: Thomas P Peschak/Alamy
Last on
Broadcasts
- Sun 25 Nov 201810:06GMTBBC World Service except Europe and the Middle East
- Mon 26 Nov 201800:06GMTBBC World Service
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