FIVE men and a woman from the West have been arrested after they were caught last Monday night with nearly 1,200 abalone taken from the Point Cook Marine Sanctuary.
Fisheries Officers on patrol arrested the group after they saw them diving in chest deep water on an extremely low tide.
The retail price of abalone is around $130 per kilogram.
The suspects, aged between 27 and 61, were taken to the Altona North Police station and released pending further investigations.
The maximum penalty for abalone trafficking is 10 years in jail.
Anyone who observes any suspected illegal fishing should call Fisheries Victoria’s reporting hotline 13FISH (133 474) any time, seven days a week.
