More than R400 million worth of fake luxury goods were intercepted at the Durban harbour in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
LOOK: Fake luxury goods discovered at Durban harbour
In a statement, KZN police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda revealed that had it not been for the vigilance of port officials, a large shipment of counterfeit goods not easily detectable to the untrained eye would have slipped into the country and polluted a bespoke market.
According to police, a suspicious-looking vessel docked at the Durban harbour in the wee hours of Wednesday and immediately, port officials alerted authorities.
It’s unclear what prompted officials to escalate the matter but Col Netshiunda explained the vessel, which was carrying a cold storage container, was identified as a potential high-risk profile.
“Officers were performing their routine risk profiling when they identified a cold storage container whose details looked suspicious. The container was correctly searched at a depot in Isipingo and tons of counterfeit items of well-known clothing brands worth approximately R400 million were recovered,” Col. Netshiunda revealed.
Here are some of the fake luxury goods discovered in the container:
While no suspects were arrested during, Netshiunda confirmed that early investigations suggest the vessel was shipped from Asia.
Penalties for selling counterfeit goods in South Africa
In South Africa, selling counterfeit goods is a criminal offence and is punishable by law. The penalties for selling counterfeit goods in South Africa depend on the severity of the offence and can range from fines to imprisonment.
Under the Counterfeit Goods Act of 1997, it is illegal to manufacture, import, distribute, or sell counterfeit goods in South Africa. Anyone found guilty of such activities can face imprisonment for up to three years or a fine of up to R10 000.
However, if the offence is committed on a commercial scale, the penalties become much more severe. If someone is found guilty of selling counterfeit goods on a commercial scale, they can face imprisonment for up to ten years or a fine of up to R500 000 or both.
Additionally, under South African copyright law, anyone found guilty of infringing on someone else’s intellectual property rights, such as trademarks, patents, or copyrights, can also face civil damages. The damages may include the loss of profits, compensation for any harm caused, and the costs of legal proceedings.