The national counterfeit goods unit seized counterfeit goods worth R15.5 million at a shopping mall at corner of Rahima Moosa and Von Wielligh Street in the Johannesburg central business district (CBD) on Friday.
Gauteng police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk said the operation resulted in the seizure of over 18,000 counterfeit items.
The items included shoes, sports apparel, handbags, caps and perfumes.
Last week Friday, IOL reported that the national counterfeit goods unit pounced on a factory sewing fake branded clothes worth R6.6 million at Rahima Moosa Street in Johannesburg CBD.
The operation resulted in the seizure of over 7,000 counterfeit items.
“These items imitating well-known brands included shoes, clothing, handbags, caps, perfumes, cosmetics and backpacks.”
Van Wyk said police also seized sewing machines, an overlocker machine, embossing machine, a hot press and a large quantity of labels of well-known brands.
“This is the biggest counterfeit manufacturing plant bust in the past year...In less than a week a ago, the team seized counterfeit goods with an estimated value of R5.8 million during a similar take down operation, also within the Johannesburg CBD,” she said at the time.
She added that in the past three weeks, nearly R28 million of counterfeit goods have been seized.
“In the past eight months, the national counterfeit unit in collaboration with its various crime fighting partners seized over R400 million worth of counterfeit and illicit goods during various take-down operations in different parts of the country,” van Wyk added.
IOL News