The police arrested two suspects and seized R5.8 million worth of illicit goods in Johannesburg on Friday.
Gauteng SA Police Service (Saps) spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk said police had recovered the goods, which included counterfeit branded clothing, sunglasses, watches and other goods, and arrested two Chinese nationals during the operation.
The arrests followed an investigation by the National Counterfeit Goods Unit which led the operation in the CBD.
“Police also arrested two Ethiopian nationals for the contravention of the Immigration Act No 13 of 2002 during this operation,” Van Wyk said.
“Nearly 7 000 counterfeit items imitating well-known brands were seized which included sports apparel, clothing, shoes, perfumes, sunglasses, watches and bags,” she said.
The unit’s team comprised Saps members from specialised units, officials from the South African Revenue Service, Gauteng Traffic's Saturation Unit, brand protectors, crime prevention wardens and private security.
“In the past eight months, the National Counterfeit Unit in collaboration with its various crime-fighting partners have seized over R400m worth of counterfeit and illicit goods during various takedown operations in different parts of the country,” Van Wyk said.
The specialised unit was established in November last year.
