Gauteng Police Dismantle Illegal Alcohol Plant in Westonaria, Arrest 9 Foreign Nationals

• Members of the South African Police Service in Gauteng bust an illegal alcohol plant in Westonaria
• Officers received a tipoff about employees being treated unfairly and discovered the alcohol plant
• Police in the province also dismantled a drug lab worth more than R10 million in Westonaria a week ago

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent ten years working for a local newspaper before transitioning to online journalism

GAUTENG – Members of the South African Police Service in the province have dismantled an illegal alcohol plant in the province producing fake alcohol.

Police also arrested nine foreign nationals at the plant in Westonaria on Thursday, 13 March. They also seized fake alcohol worth approximately R1 million. Popular whiskey, brandy and vodka brands were being illegally manufactured at the property and stored there.

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Police spokesperson Lt-Col Mavela Masondo explained that the alcohol was already packaged for distribution, with some inside 11 250-litre drums.

Provincial Police Commissioner General Tommy Mthombeni confirmed that the plant was operating for over 10 months before police struck.

Police receive tipoff about unfair labour practises

Mthombeni explained that officers received a tipoff from unhappy employees who were complaining about unfair labour practices and exploitation.

“The employees said they were paid unfair wages, subjected to excessive working hours and unsafe conditions,” Mthombeni said.

“They went to the nearest police station and reported the matter, hence we had such a discovery of this illegal plant here at the Westonaria,” he added.

Police nabbed two Taiwanese nationals, six Malawians and a Mozambican.

You can view the bust below.

Second major bust in Westonaria

The bust at the alcohol plant is the second bust in the Westonaria area in less than a week. On 7 March, police discovered a drug laboratory worth more than R10 million in Westonaria.

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The operation was carried out after police observed suspicious activity at the location. During the search, police found a fully operational drug lab. They seized mandrax and machinery used for manufacturing, processing, and packaging of drugs.

Other cases of police dismantling illegal labs

While the alcohol plant may be unique, police officers in the province have often bust drugs labs in Gauteng.

• Gauteng SAPS dismantled an R2.3 million drug lab in De Deur, Johannesburg and arrested four people
• Police in Gauteng uncovered a fully hydrophilic dagga laboratory in Magaliesburg
• SAPS bust an R80 million drug lab in the lofty suburbs of Douglasdale in Sandton
• Police dismantled a drug lab in Rietfontein, Pretoria worth R100 million and arrested a Mexican national
• Police in Gauteng dismantled a R4.5 million drug lab in Kibler Park, south of Johannnesburg

Western Cape police destroy confiscated alcohol

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Briefly News previously reported that police in the Western Cape destroyed thousands of litres of alcohol.

The alcohol was confiscated throughout 2024, with most of it seized from illegal shebeens in the province.

South Africans took to social media to joke that officers looked sad while destroying the alcohol.

Source: Briefly News