PRETORIA–The Intellectual Property Rights Section attached to the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team and Tactical Operations Management Section (TOMS) both from the Hawks at Head office together with Brand protector experts from Spoor & Fisher Attorneys executed a search and seizure disruptive operation in line with Counterfeit Goods Act 37 of 1997.

The joint team pounced in, on a clothing store at Eastgate shopping mall in Bedfordview, Johannesburg on Tuesday, 07 June 2022 following a systematic investigation into illegal trading of Counterfeit clothing items sold to consumers as genuine known brands.

This search was preceded by a test purchase of products to secure a successful search warrant which was obtained and during the search large quantities of counterfeit clothing items bearing well-known brand labels were found and seized for further investigation.

The goods worth a combined value of R100 000-00 were seized and transported to the designated Counterfeit goods depot pending the finalization of the criminal and civil case against the suspects. The shop owner will at a later stage be served with summons to appear in court for contravention of the counterfeit goods Act.

Source: South African Police Service