CAPE TOWN – Two gangsters convicted of the premeditated murder of an abalone poacher in the Western Cape have effectively been sentenced to 16 and 15 years in prison respectively. The Hermanus Regional Court sentenced the Junior Mafia gang members, Paul Adams, and Ismail Khan.

Adams was also convicted for the illegal possession of abalone. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA’s) Western Cape spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, says both entered into plea and sentencing agreements with the State. The 33-year-old Adams confessed to instructing Khan and Renaldo van der Berg, to kill Cameron Marc Padayachee for his refusal to pay extortion money.

Padayachee was assassinated in December 2021 in the presence of his minor children. The 25-year-old Khan confessed that his actions were for the benefit of the gang and that he encouraged Van der Bergh to pull the trigger. Van der Bergh is already serving 30 years in prison.

The Western Cape’s Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Nicolette Bell says environmental crimes are often linked to organised crime. She points that criminal networks exploit weak regulations and enforcement to profit from illegal activities, using tactics such as corruption, violence, and fraud.

[Picture: Lisa Nelson]