Counterfeit goods, drugs seized by PE police
Police in Nelson Mandela Bay cracked down on lawlessness, swooping on a shop and recovering almost R1.5m worth of counterfeit goods.
A man, 43, was also arrested in Lovemore Park on Saturday with drugs which had an estimated street value of R175,000.
Both operations have been hailed as a success.
The counterfeit goods were confiscated from a shop at Baywest Mall last week following a joint operation between the Port of Ngqura border policing and patent attorneys in Port Elizabeth.
Police spokesperson Col Priscilla Naidu said at about 9am on Thursday commander of the Port of Ngqura, Col Christopher Zondi, received information about counterfeit goods being sold at a mall in the Kabega Park policing area.
Police, accompanied by a representative from patent attorneys Spoor and Fisher, searched the shop and counterfeit goods consisting mainly of perfumes and board games were confiscated at the store.
“A warning was issued to the store manager for contravention of patent laws through trading in counterfeit goods.
“The goods were handed over to registered patent attorneys for storage,” Naidu said.
The estimated value of the goods is R1.469,700, Naidu said.
Eastern Cape provincial commissioner Lt-Gen Liziwe Ntshinga urged communities to report any information relating to counterfeit goods to police.
“Illicit trading in counterfeit goods threatens the finances affecting the economy of the country,” Ntshinga said.
On Saturday, Walmer police nabbed a man in Lovemore Park and confiscated drugs.
Police spokesperson Capt Sandra Janse van Rensburg said police searched the house at about 3.30pm after receiving information of alleged drug activity taking place at the premises.
“On searching the property, various items including scales, small plastic bags, Minora blades, small packets of heroin, packets of crack cocaine and a large amount of cash were seized,” Janse van Rensburg said.
The drugs are estimated to be valued at R175,000.
A police official, who cannot be named as he is not permitted to speak to the media, said when police gained access to the property the man was allegedly packaging some of the drugs.
He was arrested on a charge of drug dealing, Janse van Rensburg said.
The house was allegedly being rented by the foreign national and while he was being taken into custody a local woman was also found at the property with a child but was not detained, the source said.
According to the source the man had previously been arrested on similar charges.
He is expected to appear in the Port Elizabeth magistrate’s court today.
Acting Mount Road cluster commander, Brig Thandiswa Kupiso, sent out a stern warning to landlords that their properties could be forfeited to the state if their tenants were caught using their flat, house or outbuildings to commit crime.
“We will work with the necessary authorities and evict the tenants and then take the property from the owner.
“Owners need to profile their tenants before leasing out their property as well as making regular visits to their property.
“Their property can be seized under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
“We are warning those drug dealers and landlords, if we get information of crimes taking place at certain homes, flats or outbuildings, we will investigate and ultimately you could forfeit your property,” Kupiso said.