Cops play hard ball with ‘knock-off’ dealers
Sergeant Petros Mabaso and Constable Lindiwe Mdinisi recovered counterfeit goods to the value of about R150 000
Police raked in the results during a sting operation in the Industrial Area on October 13 at 4pm.
The Crime Intelligence unit received word of counterfeit goods being produced and sold in the area.
Sergeant Petros Mabaso and Constable Lindiwe Mdinisi recovered fake items, including razor blades, Gold Star yeast, Kiwi shoe polish, Bic pens and clothing.
“All items [are] valued at about R150 000,” said SAPS spokesperson, Captain Shooz Magudulela.
In December last year, Crime Prevention Newcastle joined forces with Crime Intelligence to carry out routine operations in the same area.
The team managed to seize R300 000 worth of counterfeit goods from a single store.
According to section 1(a) of the Counterfeit Goods Act 37 of 1997, ‘counterfeiting’ is defined as “without the authority of the owner of any intellectual property right subsisting in the Republic in respect of protected goods, the manufacturing, producing or making, whether in the Republic or elsewhere, of any goods whereby those protected goods are imitated in such manner and to such a degree that those other goods are substantially identical copies of the protected goods.”
The sole purpose of these initiatives is to help reverse the detrimental effects the selling of counterfeits goods has on the country’s economy.
Report the fraudulent production or sale of items via the toll-free hotline, 10111.
