A 70-YEAR-OLD Braybrook man caught with 1.25 tonnes of abalone has been given a two-and-a-half year suspended jail sentence for operating three illegal abalone processing plants.
The Geelong County Court sentenced Tim Truong last week and imposed fines and forfeiture orders totalling $155,000.
The court heard Mr Truong kept abalone, cans, canning equipment and labels at three premises in Highton, South Geelong and Braybrook.
Fisheries Victoria officers seized 637 filled and sealed abalone cans with a total weight of 270kgs, another 67kgs of abalone meats and 2000 loose labels at the Braybrook site alone.
