East London warehouses closed for selling counterfeit goods

The national consumer commission shut down three warehouses for selling counterfeit goods at China Town Mall in North End, East London, on Monday.

Five workers, allegedly in SA illegally, were arrested and 4,000 rolls of counterfeit toilet paper and other material were confiscated.

DispatchLIVE saw at least 10 law enforcement vehicles as well as police, BCM health inspectors and officials from the national consumer commission and border control on the scene.

The consumer commission and national regulator for compulsory specifications led the raid.

Amathole district home affairs spokesperson Ngenisile Stuurman said five people had been arrested for being in the country illegally.

BCM spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said such raids were undertaken frequently.

“We do these patrols almost every day. We visit businesses and liquor outlets as part of general crime prevention in the city, especially in the CBD area.”

He said joint operations were conducted with police, the environmental health department, the department of home affairs and the department of fisheries.

 At the scene national consumer commission spokesperson Phetho Ntaba said the raids would continue until Thursday.

Speaking to the shop owners at the warehouses earlier, an NCC inspector told them three blankets would be taken in for “sampling”, and they were not to sell 12 others until a compliance notice was given to them.

However, Ntaba later said the warehouses would be shut down.