Illegal distillery uncovered and dismantled – three suspects nabbed

Police in Pinetown, working together with officers from the eThekwini District Trio Task Team have arrested three suspects after they were caught in the act of manufacturing illegal spirited liquor at a clandestine distillery in Westmead on Tuesday.

In an operation involving officers from Crime Intelligence, KwaZulu-Natal Liquor Board, a courier company and brewery expert from the affected alcohol brand, intelligence was gathered about a company which was manufacturing counterfeit liquor and an operational plan was put in motion.

During observation it was uncovered that the gates to the building were always shut, however the suspects were continuing with their shenanigans behind closed doors. Upon tactically penetrating into the building, police found three men in the act of bottling self-made liquor into bottles branded with the name of a well-known vodka brand.

Branded boxes, tons of liquor, a matrix printer and bottle caps, all valued to approximately R400 000-00 were recovered and seized. The three suspects, aged between 29 and 42-year-old, will appear in court soon.

Source: South African Police Service