Counterfeit Liquor Crackdown: Western Cape Police Arrest Five

The Western Cape Police have made noteworthy inroads into the fight against illegal liquor activities by detaining five individuals across two separate incidents. The arrests, which took place on Friday, 1st November 2024, underscore the police's commitment to tackling the underground manufacturing and trading of alcohol in the region.

In a targeted operation, police officers had been diligently following leads on the unlawful production of alcohol in the Lingelethu West precinct. The culmination of this investigative effort led the police to a residence in Illitha Park, specifically to a house on Nqilomathi Street. Armed with a search warrant, they breached the premises to find four men engaged in the processing of a fraudulent liquor, aimed at imitating a recognizable brand. Besides being unable to justify the bottling machine and counterfeit labels found onsite, the men were also unable to provide valid explanations for their actions. Consequently, the suspects were arrested on grounds of illegal manufacturing of counterfeit liquor.

Simultaneously, in Paarl East, proactive crime prevention strategies resulted in the discovery of another illegal alcohol-related operation. During a search conducted on an address along Symphony Road, the police found substantial quantities of alcohol. The proprietor of the property could neither account for the high volume of alcoholic substances nor present a valid license for possession or trade of such quantities. Authorities estimated the street value of the seized alcohol at R250,000. The male owner was therefore taken into custody for operating a liquor distribution process without the necessary legal approvals.

Upon booking and processing, the suspects are set to confront the repercussions of their actions in the Khayelitsha and Paarl magistrate's courts, where they will face the charges laid against them. This decisive action by the Western Cape Police not only impedes the illegal trade of alcohol but also ensures the enforcement of regulations that protect consumers against counterfeit substances and uphold quality standards in the liquor industry.