LATEST: Victoria Police say they have cracked a seafood trafficking syndicate on Tuesday morning after raids on 12 Brimbank and Melton properties.
The Victoria Police Criminal Proceeds Squad arrested 14 people after executing warrants at residential properties in St Albans, Cairnlea, Burnside Heights, Taylors Hill and Delahey.
Police are still searching the properties for equipment used for the illegal on-selling of the protected species and a number of vehicles.
The warrants follow a lengthy police investigation with the Department of Environment and Primary Industries into a crime syndicate believed to be involved in trafficking commercial quantities of abalone, rock lobster and shellfish.
Police believe those involved have trafficked hundreds of thousands of dollars of abalone alone per year.
More to come
