South Africa police seize stolen copper cables and counterfeit goods in raids

Police in South Africa conducted two separate operations targeting illegal trade. In the Bloemfontein area, officers stopped a white Iveco truck on the N1 highway and recovered copper cables valued at over R300,000 that were identified as belonging to Centlec, Eskom and Telkom. The 43‑year‑old driver was arrested and faces charges of possessing stolen property and tampering with essential infrastructure.

In Gauteng, the South African Police Service’s Counterfeit Unit raided four storage units in Boksburg, seizing 1,531,398 items valued at about R18.27 million. The haul included more than 1.5 million counterfeit consumer goods—such as Trust condoms, BIC pens, Nike tracksuits and other branded products—and 14,370 bottles of illicit vodka. SAPS warned that counterfeit goods pose risks to consumers and the economy and urged the public to report related offences.