Counterfeit clothing worth R6m seized at King Shaka Airport

The bust was part of an operation to clamp down on non-compliance relating to importation and exportation.


The South African Revenue Service (Sars) recently embarked on a high-visibility two-day operation in and around Durban, which resulted in the confiscation of R6 million worth of counterfeit clothing at King Shaka Airport, reports Northglen News.

The operation involved other government departments such as SAPS, Immigration, Cross Border Road Traffic Agency, and eThekwini Metro Police.

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The main focus of the operation was to clamp down on non-compliance relating to the importation and exportation of goods, the smuggling of illegal substances, and the illegal storage and movement of secondhand goods.

The service said in a statement: “Officials made a bust of suspected counterfeit clothing and textiles valued at approximately R6 million at King Shaka International Airport (KSIA). The goods were detected during random inspections in the cargo section at KSIA.

“In a separate operation, 30kg of compressed dagga was discovered in a car stopped at a roadblock in Tongaat. The dagga, which was packed in suitcases in the boot of the car, was positively identified by customs detector dogs. It is valued at about R2 million.”

Officials also discovered suspected counterfeit nappies which were packed into in a 40-foot container at the Durban harbour.

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