Durban - Counterfeit goods valued at R400 million were seized by police officers after a ship entered Durban Harbour on Wednesday.
KwaZulu-Natal provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said vigilant police officers positively identified a vessel and stopped a container which was carrying counterfeit goods at the Durban Harbour in the early hours of May 10.
Netshiunda said officers were performing routine risk profiling when they identified a cold storage container whose details looked suspicious.
“The container was correctly searched at a depot in Isipingo and tons of counterfeit items of well-known clothing brands worth approximately R400 million were recovered,” he said.
According to Netshiunda, the container came from an Asian country.
“The police have already started with the process to establish the intended destination and the possible recipients,” he said.
Some of the items seen in the pictures issued by police of the counterfeit goods include Springbok rugby T-shirts, spectacles as well as various name-brand items.
Earlier this month, IOL reported that the Mbombela Specialised Commercial Crimes Court convicted and sentenced a foreign national for contravention of the Counterfeit Goods Act.
Anatercia Timane, 43, was convicted on 733 counts of unlawful possession of counterfeit goods (sneakers) with an estimated street value of over R1.9 million.
According to the report, this comes after she was arrested on March 10 at Lebombo Border Port of Entry, for transporting counterfeit brand items, bearing the trademarks belonging to various owners.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said in the report that Timane pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a fine of R100 000 or three years’ imprisonment, half of which was suspended for five years on condition that she was not convicted of a contravention of the Counterfeit Goods Act during her suspension period.
“The court ordered that the goods confiscated from the accused be forfeited to the State to be properly destroyed,” said the NPA.
