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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

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23 minutes

Last on

Mon 26 Nov 2018 00:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sun 25 Nov 2018 10:06GMT
  • Mon 26 Nov 2018 00:06GMT

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Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

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