The South African Police Service (SAPS), alongside its crime-fighting partners, seized counterfeit items valued at over R3 million in the Johannesburg CBD last week. Two suspects, identified as illegal foreign nationals, were also arrested during the operation.
The takedown was led by the National Counterfeit Goods Unit joined by the Gauteng Provincial Counterfeit Unit, Public Order Policing, South African Revenue Services (SARS), South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), Brand Protectors, Crime Prevention Wardens, and private security personnel. The operation was executed on Friday 25 October under a search and seizure warrant that targeted shopping malls in the Johannesburg CBD.
More than 6 000 counterfeit items were confiscated, including pharmaceuticals, clothing, watches, bags, cosmetics, and perfumes.
“The SAPS, along with its partners, is committed to eradicating the illegal trade of counterfeit goods to safeguard consumers, legitimate businesses, and the economy of this country,” it said in a statement.
A 16 October operation in Langlaagte focussing on counterfeit goods saw one suspect arrested for trade of counterfeit goods and seven undocumented people apprehended. The team also seized a large quantity of counterfeit perfumes and illicit raw tobacco rolling papers.
“The trade of counterfeit goods and contraband is unlawful and has a detrimental impact on the economic growth of the country hence the law enforcement agencies in Gauteng will continue to destabilize the market of illicit trade of counterfeit goods,” the SAPS said.
Another operation on 9 October in Dragon City, Johannesburg, resulted in the confiscation of counterfeit and illicit goods worth R10 million. The items that were seized included toothpaste and medicine.
Concerns over food safety and poisoning are also driving law enforcement to clamp down on illicit and counterfeit goods. There has been anoutcry regarding treatment and admission of children to hospitals in various parts of the country due to apparent poor hygiene, food handling practices and alleged unsafe production of certain counterfeit food items and suspected food poisoning.
Last week, police arrested two suspects for violating health and safety, immigration and counterfeit goods acts. Pretoria West Detectives were following up leads after arresting a man delivering expired food stuffs he allegedly bought in Brits. They teamed up with the local Visible Policing members and proceeded to a warehouse at Industrial Sites where they found the owner; a South African and his undocumented employee from Malawi. The pair was allegedly found manufacturing food items on three separate machines. Furthermore, the police detected boxes containing seasoning spices, which expired in July 2022. The members also discovered five 20 litre containers of expired peanut butter as well as macaroni pasta, spaghetti and a variety of spices. The owner was requested to prove the legitimacy of his business, but failed to do that. As a result, Bojanala District Municipality Health Services officials were summoned to the scene and they later confirmed that some of the products had expired and cannot be consumed.
The Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, welcomed the arrest. He indicated that different role players under the Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (PPROVJOINTS), with Department of Health taking the lead, are ready to deal with issues pertaining to food safety.
