Two Junior Mafia Members Sentenced for Killing Abalone Poacher

Two members of the Junior Mafia gang have been sentenced in the Hermanus Regional Court for the 2021 murder of abalone poacher Cameron Padayachee. Prosecutors said the killing was ordered after he refused to pay extortion money, with Paul Adams and Ismail Khan both convicted on murder and gang-related charges.

Padayachee was shot dead in front of his children in Blompark, underscoring the violent grip gangs hold in Western Cape coastal communities. Adams also admitted to illegal possession of abalone. The court said the sentencing should send a clear message against organised criminal intimidation.