Police have confiscated counterfeit alcohol worth R1m from a manufacturing plant in Westonaria, west of Joburg.
The discovery was made on Thursday when police responded to a tip-off from four illegal immigrants reporting their employer’s alleged criminal activities. They found neatly-packed bottles ready for delivery.
Gauteng police spokesperson Lt-Col Mavela Masondo said: “The alcohol included whiskey, brandy, gin and vodka, some of which were branded with known alcohol brands. Police found chemicals suspected of being used during the manufacturing process.”
As a result, police arrested two Taiwanese suspects alleged to be the owners of the plant. The pair have been charged with dealing in illicit liquor and contravention of the Liquor Act and the Customs Act.
Masondo said the employees alleged they were held against their will and forced to work for long hours in unhealthy conditions.
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