"Very Sad": SAPS Confiscate Counterfeit Goods Worth Nearly R25 Million in Joburg
- A joint law enforcement operation saw a large number of counterfeit goods being confiscated in the Johannesburg CBD
- According to the police's Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo, police and other agencies were acting on a tip-off
- It is not the first time such a raid has been conducted in the city centre as they have become commonplace in the past several years
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Members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and SARS custom officials descended on stores in the Johannesburg CBD to conduct a large scale raid on Friday.
The stores in the area are suspected of selling counterfeit goods with an estimated value of almost R25 million. Briefly News understands that no arrests were made during the operation.
Source: Original
However, in the information given to Briefly News, Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said the multi-disciplinary allowed a large number of shoe and clothing brands to be seized.
"Buildings in the Johannesburg were raided in a joint operation by SAPS, the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), customs officials, and brand holders," said Masondo.
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"Counterfeit goods to the estimated value of R24.5 million were seized. Police executed a search and seizure order from the court. We received a tip-off about buildings that are storing counterfeit goods."
Shop owner expresses dismay
The latest seizures are the latest in a long list of others that have been conducted in the city centre in the past several years.
According to News24, a shop owner who did not want to be named expressed feelings of grief and heartbreak when seeing his fellow shop owners getting their goods confiscated.
The publication reported that the unnamed shop owner's store was left to stand as he did not trade counterfeit goods.
"My store has been here for 20 years, and it's sad to see my neighbours getting their things taken. What is happening here is very sad," he said.
A heavily armed group of officers cordoned off a portion of the street as the goods were loaded onto trucks before being ferried off. It was not immediately clear what would happen to the confiscated items.
Mzansi taken aback as police discover live crocodile in Jozi raid
In related news, Briefly News reported that South Africans were horrified to learn of the police's recent discovery of a live crocodile during a raid on a Johannesburg home.
When the police received a tip-off on Thursday about a group of five individuals allegedly dealing drugs at the property, they arrived at an unlikely find.
Speaking to TimesLIVE, Gauteng police spokesperson Mavela Masondo said drugs worth a street value of R600 000, two toy guns, and the wild reptile were confiscated during two separate raids.
The suspect's arrest was carried out by an inter-departmental law enforcement group, News24 reported.
"A team comprising detectives from Organised Crime Investigations, Forensic Services and West Rand K9 Unit arrested the suspect for possession of and dealing in illegal substances," said Masondo.
“A live crocodile was also discovered on the property. A Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) branch was called in to handle the reptile.”
Source: Briefly News
