South Africa's Abalone Underworld

Lives Less Ordinary - A podcast by BBC World Service - Mondays

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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