Seven undocumented migrants are on Wednesday scheduled to appear in court after they were arrested by police in Gauteng during a raid at a factory where workers were packaging and altering dates on expired Lucky Star canned fish.
Gauteng provincial police spokesperson, Captain Tintswalo Sibeko, on Wednesday confirmed to IOL that the seven are appearing in the Vereeniging Magistrate’s Court.
The seven arrested people are aged between 18 and 29. Police said the owner of the operation remains at large.
“On (Monday) November 11, 2024, a joint operation between Crime Intelligence from Zamdela, Sasolburg and SAPS Kliprivier yielded significant results in the fight against counterfeit goods,” said Sibeko.
She said during a raid along Eland Street, Daleside, law enforcement authorities seized a large quantity of counterfeit Lucky Star pilchards.
The police also discovered printing equipment which was used to alter expiry dates on the containers of expired Lucky Star packaging.
The altered Lucky Star tins were being packed in boxes marked “Woolworths Food”.
“Police opened a case of contravention of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act (Act 54 of 1972), Section 17(c), possession of suspected stolen properties and contravention of the Immigration Act, Act 13 of 2002.”
IOL has reached out to Woolworths for a comment, and this will be added, once received.
Last year, IOL reported that the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) arrested two foreign nationals linked to an illegal potato chips manufacturing factory.
During a routine stop-and-search operation, JMPD members pounced on two men driving a white panel van in Zima Drive, Marlboro.
JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla said that during the search, the officers found boxes in the vehicle, and on closer examination, found that the address on the packages of the potato chips in the boxes neither matched the manufacturer’s address nor had the SABS mark of approval.
The suspects were subsequently escorted to the factory while environmental health authorities were called.
“When environmental health inspectors were summoned to the scene, it was discovered that the owner did not have a manufacturer certificate and the relevant documents for operating the business.
“Home Affairs Immigration was also called to the scene and they verified that seven employees at the business were illegal immigrants. All seven undocumented persons were detained at Bramley police station and the owner of the business is still at large,” Fihla said.
In recent months, several children in Gauteng and other parts of South Africa have suffered from food-borne disease while others have died after consuming food.
Community members have accused spaza shops in the townships of selling “fake and expired” food.
IOL