Police seize counterfeit goods worth over R20 million in Bruma operation
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk said the large-scale operation, involving units such as the Hawks, Crime Intelligence, SARS, Customs, Home Affairs, and private security, led to the arrest of 35 suspects connected to counterfeit goods.
'The operation resulted in the arrest of 35 individuals. One suspect was arrested for contravening the Counterfeit Goods Act, while 34 foreign nationals were arrested for contravening the Immigration Act.'
Van Wyk added that the operation confiscated over 24,000 counterfeit products, including imitation branded clothing.
'Acting on intelligence gathered, the team executed search and seizure warrants following the Customs and Excise Act and the Counterfeit Goods Act. The operation led to the seizure of over 24,000 counterfeit items, including branded clothing, footwear, handbags, perfumes, jewellery, and cellphone accessories,' she said.
Van Wyk stressed that SAPS continues to fight tirelessly against the illegal trade in counterfeit goods to protect consumers, back legitimate businesses, and preserve the integrity of the country's economy.
Last month, police seized counterfeit goods worth over R50 million in nationwide operations, including illicit cigarettes valued at R4.5 million during a takedown.
Van Wyk said the takedown operation targeted shops in Pretoria Central, Centurion and Brits in the North West.
"More than 2,000 items were seized that including high-end counterfeit clothing, shoes, handbags, caps, watches, sunglasses, and belts as well as toys," said van Wyk.
Three Bangladeshi nationals were also arrested for contravening the Immigration Act during the operations.
The Star
[email protected]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eyewitness News
11 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
City Power confirms Hawks visited its HQ but insists it was not a raid
One of the contracts under investigation involves an alleged inflated payment of R100 million for electricity infrastructure that was initially quoted at just R8 million. City Power spokesperson, Isaac Mangena, clarified that the Hawks' visit did not constitute a formal search-and-seizure operation. "There was no raid, there was no confiscation of any documents, of any IT equipment or even files and there was no interrogation of any of our executives. We can, however, confirm that members of the Hawks did visit City Power and delivered a formal request for information to the business. We will, as City Power, cooperate fully with this lawful request."
IOL News
12 hours ago
- IOL News
Community leaders call for action against illegal cannabis stores in Chatsworth
Residents said outlets were "freely selling" cannabis products close to schools and religious organisations. Image: Reuters COMMUNITY leaders in Chatsworth are urging authorities to take action against the proliferation of illegal cannabis stores, highlighting concerns about public safety and the impact on local youth. They said outlets were "freely selling" cannabis products close to schools and religious organisations. This comes soon after Mmamoloko Kubayi, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, confirmed that regulations required for the Cannabis for Private Purposes Act to be implemented would be finalised by March 2026. In a parliamentary response to DA MP Tobias Chance, Kubayi said the Act could only be implemented once her department had received feedback from all concerned departments. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ These include the departments of health; agriculture; trade, industry and competition; social development; small business and development, the Presidency, and the SAPS. Yugen Pillay, chairperson of the Chatsworth Community Policing Forum (CPF), said despite the use of cannabis being decriminalised for private use, the public needed to remember that the sale of cannabis was still illegal. 'People are openly selling cannabis. The law regarding the sale of cannabis is quite clear. I have tried many times to get law enforcement to act on this, but they are still awaiting direction from their legal department. A directive that was unfortunately not forthcoming. 'It seems that the legal departments cannot decipher the legislation, and in the meantime, these stores are mushrooming all over. 'The use of cannabis can act as a gateway drug, and because it is so easily available, more and more people are using it. We are calling on the police to clamp down on these stores and start shutting them down," said Pillay. He said SAPS had issued a stern warning that the establishment of illegal dispensaries or outlets, online sites and social media platforms, which are marketing and selling cannabis and cannabis-related products to the public, remained illegal, except where specifically allowed in terms of the Medicines and Related Substances Act. 'Despite warnings, cannabis stores continue to open everywhere. Some of these illegal businesses, purporting to operate legally, are also being sold to members of the public as franchises authorised to deal in cannabis and cannabis-related products. 'Dealing in cannabis remains a serious criminal offence. Police are mandated to and will act, not only against businesses that sell cannabis illegally, but also against the customers who buy these products." Cyril Pillay, the chairperson of the Chatsworth Spiritual Crime Prevention Forum, said: "The increase in cannabis stores in our community is adding to all the social ills we are facing. It is compounding our problems and leading to the degradation of our society. This is also adding to the social economic challenges that already exist. 'People are complacent and due to poor monitoring, we have more than one cannabis store per area. We need proper monitoring and more police operations to curb this." Denzil Devan, a community leader in Mobeni Heights, said the sharp increase in cannabis stores across communities highlighted a significant gap in legislation. 'While liquor outlets are bound by strict zoning laws, such as maintaining a set distance from schools, cannabis stores are exploiting the absence of similar regulations, allowing them to operate virtually anywhere. This loophole poses serious concerns for public safety and urban planning,' he added. Devan said it was more concerning that outlets have included smoking lounges and cannabis bars. 'Many of these outlets have evolved into cannabis smoking lounges or cannabis bars, which likely goes far beyond what Parliament intended when it moved to decriminalise cannabis for personal use and regulate products like cannabis oil and hemp. Without clear policy direction and enforcement, we risk creating unregulated environments that normalise public consumption and weaken community standards." Jakes Singh, the former chairperson of the Chatsworth CPF, said various cannabis stores have opened near schools and religions institutions over the last two years. 'Not enough checks are done. While a few of the stores are operating legally, most are illegal. Tuck-shops are even selling cannabis. Stores are mushrooming everywhere. Raids are done, and regulators are visiting to check, but it is not done all the time. Too many loopholes are leading to the increase of cannabis stores,' said Singh. Colonel Booysie Zungu, the spokesperson for metro police, said the rapid increase of unlicenced cannabis stores and dispensaries within the municipal area was a serious concern. 'We are working together to identify and dismantle illegal cannabis operations, including unregistered dispensaries, storage facilities, and unlicenced retail stores. These establishments often operate outside the boundaries of national legislation, posing a threat to public health and safety. 'This is in line with our crime prevention mandate and the provisions of the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act and Medicines and Related Substances Act. 'We are committed to enforcing municipal bylaws, disrupting illegal trade, and working to ensure that all cannabis-related businesses comply with applicable laws. We encourage the public to report suspicious activity through official channels." Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, the chief executive officer of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra), said cannabis dispensaries were mushrooming and blatantly displaying copies of Sahpra licences, which were issued authorising cannabis cultivation and exporting of the cannabis flower. "Such licences do not authorise these so-called cannabis dispensaries. This is a matter of concern," said Semete-Makokotlela in a statement. 'It is highly unethical and illegal for any individual or company to claim Sahpra authorisation through forged documentation. We take this matter seriously, and we will work with law enforcement agencies to ensure that offenders are dealt with swiftly and decisively. The public must be protected from such deceptive behaviour." Sahpra warned the public to be vigilant and cautious when engaging with service providers that claimed to be licenced by the authority. Semete-Makokotlela said Sahpra wasin the process of sourcing a system that used barcoding as a means of authenticating these certificates. If you suspect that a provider is using a fraudulent Sahpra licence, you can call the authority on 0800 204 307. THE POST
IOL News
12 hours ago
- IOL News
KZN political killings task team did ‘tremendous work,' says Ramaphosa, but Mkhwanazi disagrees
President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended the disbanded political killings task team in KwaZulu-Natal, saying it did 'tremendous work,' before its closure. Image: IOL Graphics President Cyril Ramaphosa insists the disbanded political killings task team in KwaZulu-Natal has done "tremendous work" over the years, despite claims from police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi that the team's dissolution derailed more than 100 active murder cases. 'The political task team on the killings in KZN has been doing its work and has done tremendous work,' Ramaphosa said on Friday during a high-level meeting with the Northern Cape Provincial Executive. 'The killings then started coming down in KZN, the political killings. So the complaints that have been raised by the KZN police commissioner have to be investigated.' Mkhwanazi has accused Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who was recently placed on special leave, of political interference and protecting criminals. He alleged that Mchunu disbanded the task team in March, effectively closing 121 active dockets, many of which are tied to politically motivated assassinations. He said the cases were stored in the office of Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, who has also been placed on leave. Mkhwanazi said since its formation in 2018, the task team has handled 612 cases and secured more than 100 convictions. He said efforts to shut down the unit escalated after weapons linked to high-profile assassinations were uncovered. The top cop described the disbandment as 'a calculated move to shield a criminal syndicate embedded in law enforcement and politics.' In a December 2024 letter to National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, Mchunu claimed the unit had 'outlived its usefulness.' However, Masemola later denied authorising the closure. Mkhwanazi also alleged that investigations exposed links between criminal syndicates and politicians, law enforcement officials, prosecutors, judges, and businesspeople. He also implicated Mchunu's 'comrade,' Brown Mogotsi, in communicating with businessman Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala, who had received a now-cancelled R360 million SAPS contract. Ramaphosa has since announced the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry to probe the corruption allegations. The commission will be led by Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. 'Those have to be investigated, and that is why I set up the commission. I expect that this commission, whose terms of reference are now out, will work very quickly,' he said. Ramaphosa said the commission is expected to deliver an initial report within three months and a final report within six months. He added that if more time is needed, he will consult with Madlanga. 'This is a commission that everyone in the country would like to see quick answers coming from,' he said. The commission has now been officially gazetted and will focus on alleged political interference, criminal syndicates operating within law enforcement, and deep-rooted corruption in the province. Meanwhile, the Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) has filed a no-confidence motion against Ramaphosa regarding his choice to retain Police Mchunu rather than dismissing him. Instead, Mchunu has been placed on leave while a judicial commission of inquiry is set up. As a result, the party has taken its case to the Constitutional Court to contest President Ramaphosa's decision to put Mchunu on special leave, as well as the subsequent appointment of Professor Firoz Cachalia as the acting Police Minister. The party is requesting an urgent Parliament session to convene within the next two weeks to discuss and vote on the motion. [email protected] IOL Politics
