SA Revenue Service Customs has introduced new risk rules in is battle against illegal clothing and textile imports – resulting in an increase in the number of stops and inspections in the sector, according to Patrick Moeng, executive: customs investigations. “We are trying to be as responsible as possible to the industry’s plight,” he said, “and are currently working on numerous cases worth millions of rands.” A container of suspected counterfeit clothing and shoes detained at the Kopfontein border post with Botswana last year contained well-known brand name clothes and shoes like Nike, Adidas and Gucci on their way from China via Zambia to Swaziland. They were stopped by SA Customs and had a declared value of only R11 727. Samples of the goods were sent to the brand holders who confirmed that all the goods were counterfeit with an estimated total value of R26 607 000. The case will now follow a legal process which, once finalised, will probably end with the destruction of the goods.
