Western Cape police have seized counterfeit goods at a shopping complex in Bellville worth an estimated R5.1 million. The goods include fake clothing, watches and other apparel. Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie says the operation was done in conjunction with customs, home affairs, and brand protectors. Three suspects have been arrested.
Upon their arrival, SAPS members found most of the stores abandoned but this did not deter the operation from being executed. Three Somalian men in their mid-30s were arrested.
One of the three arrestees, a 36-year-old man, was found inside a shop fronting as a copy shop, where members confiscated a substantial amount of cash, passports, photos, certificates, including birth, asylum, death, refugee certificates and vehicle licenses, affidavits and a money-counting machine.
#sapsWC Persistent efforts to clamp down on the illegal trade of counterfeit goods were rewarded when fake clothing, watches, and other apparel to the tune of R5.1 million were confiscated during an integrated operation in Bellville. Three men were arrested. #StopIllicitTrade NP… pic.twitter.com/1VwuWzp3Za
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) January 26, 2024