A US citizen has been fined R500,000 and given a two-year suspended sentence for being in possession of “protected” succulent plants.

Kalman Kaminar was sentenced in the Cape Town magistrate's court on Wednesday to two years' imprisonment, which was suspended for five years on condition that he was not convicted for illegal possession of succulent plants in that period.

He was also declared an undesirable person and has been banned from entering SA.

He was convicted on two counts of illegal possession of succulent plants declared as protected. The South African Red Plan List declared some of the plants as vulnerable and endangered.

“Following a confiscation order overseen by the Asset Forfeiture Unit, the court ordered the accused to pay R500,000 to the state — R250,000 to be paid into the Criminal Assets Recovery Account and R250,000 to be paid to the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board,” said Western Cape National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila.