SAPS Seizes Over 1,700 Fake Springbok Items Worth R1.5 Million in Joburg CBD Raid
- SAPS led a multi-agency raid on a Johannesburg CBD storage facility and uncovered more than 1,700 counterfeit sports apparel and footwear items
- The operation targeted criminal networks cashing in on fan demand ahead of the Springboks vs New Zealand rugby match
- South Africans online were divided, with some praising the crackdown and others cracking jokes about their own shopping habits
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Source: Facebook
Police swooped on a storage facility in the Johannesburg CBD on 5 September 2026. The South African Police Service and several law enforcement partners confiscated more than 1,700 counterfeit sports apparel and footwear items, along with manufacturing equipment, in a haul valued at over R1.5 million.
The operation was intelligence-driven and led by the SAPS National Counterfeit and Illicit Goods Unit. Working alongside them were the Gauteng Counterfeit and Illicit Goods Unit, the Public Order Policing Unit, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, the SARS Customs Division, and brand protection representatives. Several search-and-seizure warrants were executed during the takedown.
Among the items recovered were fake Springboks-branded jerseys and other sports gear bearing the trademarks of well-known brands. Officers also found the tools used to produce the goods, including an embossing machine, silkscreen plates, counterfeit labels, and branded stickers.
Raid timed ahead of Springboks vs All Blacks
The timing of the operation was deliberate. With the Springboks set to face New Zealand at FNB Stadium, demand for team merchandise typically surges, creating an opening for counterfeiters to flood the market with fake goods at lower prices.
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SAPS said the raid forms part of a broader, ongoing national effort to disrupt criminal networks involved in producing and selling counterfeit goods. Police urged the public to buy official merchandise only from authorised retailers and to report any suspected counterfeit goods to authorities.
Mzansi reacts to the counterfeit bust
South Africans had plenty to say in the comments section on the Facebook page, with a mix of applause, humour, and scepticism:
@Thaema La Gali wrote:
"Joweeee, our orders 💔"
@Relebogile Mawelela asked:
"Over R1.5M in street value?"
@Soja Mokoena reacted:
"Great 👌 job, guys."
@Tman Lekhoakhoa shared:
"🥹🥱😏 Ice drop in the ocean. I'm very much disappointed, guys."
@Xolly Moloi suggested:
"Go to China Mall. I want to see something. You could get counterfeit worth billions."
@Pa Pa Rooratile added:
"Clean them out, please."
See the SAPS post that sparked the reaction online:
More on SAPS crime and arrests in SA
- Briefly News recently reported on a woman arrested for allegedly posing as a City of Tshwane official and promising to make traffic fines disappear for a fee.
- An intelligence-driven operation at a West Rand mine ended with dozens of arrests and one illegal miner shot dead during a shootout with law enforcement.
- A fiery social media clash followed after a well-known cultural commentator publicly called for the arrest of a prominent protest leader.
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Source: Briefly News
