The South African Police Service (SAPS) Gauteng Provincial Counterfeit Unit, working closely with brand protection investigators, has confiscated counterfeit and illicit goods with an estimated value exceeding R18.27 million during a search and seizure operation conducted in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni District.
The operation was conducted on Friday, 24 July 2026, between 09:00 and 14:30, following the execution of a search and seizure warrant at storage facilities suspected of being used to store counterfeit and illicit goods.
The multidisciplinary team comprised members from the Gauteng Provincial Counterfeit Unit and Brand Protection Investigators, who searched four storage units in Boksburg.
During the operation, authorities seized 1,459,548 counterfeit items with an estimated value of R18.2 million.
The counterfeit goods included:
- BIC pens – 326,400items
- Trust condoms – 902,016 items
- Nike tracksuits – 1,500 items
- Nivea roll-on deodorants – 44,160 items
- Super Black hair dye – 5,184 items
- Lover Plus products – 24,192 items
- Kiwi shoe polish – 156,096 items
- Police also confiscated 14,370 bottles of illicit 100ml vodka, valued at R71, 850.00.
In total, 1,531,398 items were seized during the operation, with a combined estimated value of R18, 271,850.00.
The South African Police Service remains committed to protecting consumers, safeguarding legitimate businesses, and disrupting criminal networks involved in the manufacturing, storage, distribution and sale of counterfeit, contraband and illicit goods. Such illegal activities negatively impact the economy, expose consumers to potentially harmful products and undermine lawful trade.
SAPS encourages members of the public and business owners to report the manufacturing, storage and sale of counterfeit and illicit goods to their nearest police station or through the SAPS Crime Stop number 08600 10111.