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Two alleged abalone dealers are expected to appear in the Paarl Magistrates' Court on Wednesday following their arrest near the N1 Huguenot tunnel on Tuesday.
Spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale says the men aged 33 and 45 were travelling in a truck on the N1 when they were pulled over near the tunnel.
He says police received a tip-off and a team from the Hawks, K9 unit and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries planned a joint search and seizure operation.
Inside the truck, police found bags of onions and potatoes that covered boxes of abalone with a value of R5.3 million.
The will appear in the Paarl Magistrates' court today for contravening the Marine Living Resources Act.
This is the second big abalone bust in the Western Cape this week.
Over the weekend WC traffic services arrested two men at a strategic roadblock with abalone worth R5. 68 million.
The men aged 44 and 47 had 11 650 abalone in their possession.
