The South African Police Service in Gauteng remains relentless in its efforts to address crime related to counterfeit goods. The counterfeit goods trade has a detrimental impact on the economic growth of a country through lost revenue and employment.
It is for this reason that Provincial Commissioner of Police in Gauteng, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela commended SAPS members and relevant stakeholders for the recent counterfeit goods successes achieved.
SAPS Gauteng in partnership with Department of Home Affairs, South African Revenue Service (SARS), ICASA, Gauteng Traffic, PSIRA, Brand Protectors and other crime fighting partners collectively attributed to the recovery of counterfeit goods to an estimated value of nearly R5 million within a period of five days (21 to 25 August 2023) across the province. In addition, over 40 undocumented persons were arrested during the execution of the various counterfeit goods operations.
“We will leave no stone unturned as we continue to deal the illicit trade in counterfeit goods a heavy blow”, said Lt Gen Mawela.
