Picture: Some of confiscated liquor from the warehouse/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
A 38-YEAR-OLD man was arrested for contravention of Section 2(1) of the Counterfeit Goods Act, 1997 (Act No. 37 of 1997) in Vryburg. The North West police spokesperson, Capt Afje Botma said, the accused was arrested by the Vryburg K9 Unit in conjunction with the South African Revenue Services (SARS), the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) officials during a crime intelligence-driven operation.
“The police executed a search and seizure warrant at an identified warehouse, where liquor products were destined for export but instead, sold within the South African market for a reduced price. Consequently, a large consignment of different kinds of liquor was found in the warehouse.
“The investigation led to the discovery of a server network used for Bitcoin investment and 15 electricity inverters. It was further established that, some authentic labels on the bottles were removed and replaced with counterfeit labels to avoid the detection of an export product,” Botma.
She said, the police also identified 828 x 750ml and 24 x 1 litres bottles of Richelieu brandy, which were allegedly stolen during a business robbery in Germiston, Gauteng Province. Botma added that all liquor products with an estimated value of R5.4 million were seized.
“The investigation into the matter by the DPCI continues. The accused appeared at Vryburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday and the case was postponed to 8 May 2023,” she said.
Meanwhile, the North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena lauded all officials for their collaborative efforts that led to the success.
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