Johannesburg – A 42-year-old man is expected to appear in the Springs Magistrate’s Court soon after a counterfeit washing powder manufacturing facility was uncovered in Gauteng at the weekend.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), with brand protectors from Spoor & Fisher Attorneys assisted by the police’s Public Order Policing (POP) unit from Springs conducted a search-and-seizure operation in terms of the Counterfeit Goods Act 37 of 1997 at a premises in Selection Park in Springs on Friday.
Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Philani Nkwalase said the operation followed an in-depth investigation into the manufacturing and sale of counterfeit washing powder at the premises.
He said samples of the counterfeit goods were purchased during the preliminary investigation by the intellectual property rights section of the Hawks Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit.
“The Hawks-led team found that the premises was a large-scale manufacturing and distribution facility.
“Huge amounts of raw materials including machinery as well as industrial sifting machines, unbranded washing powder along with counterfeit labels bearing well-known trademarks of various proprietors, sodium, filled and empty buckets, electronic scales, colouring and dye were all found and seized for further investigation,” Nkwalase said.
He said the suspect would be served with a summons to appear in court for contravention of the Counterfeit Goods Act once the investigation had been concluded.
IOL