Police are cracking down on illegal alcohol manufacturers and distributors with the latest success being one in Faure on Thursday 2 October.
According to police, members of Operation Shanela II in the province followed up information about a facility illegally manufacturing and distributing alcohol.
The officers descended on a farm located in Faure, where they uncovered a fully operational illegal alcohol manufacturing facility inside a building on the property.
Provincial police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said five Malawian suspects, aged 26 to 45, were arrested during the operation, along with the seizure of large quantities of illicit alcohol and manufacturing equipment.
Among the items found and confiscated were equipment used in the production of counterfeit or unregulated liquor, plastic containers filled with chemicals, hundreds of empty and pre-filled liquor bottles, industrial-grade bottling and capping machinery, and boxes.
On further investigation, the police visited a storage facility in Woodstock, which they suspected is linked to the one in Faure.
Here a Chinese national (53)was arrested and a substantial quantity of illegal, pre-packaged alcohol, suspected to be ready for distribution, was found and confiscated.
The action comes after just weeks after a joint operation by Maitland Flying Squad and the Klapmuts Farm Watch led to the arrest of seven foreign nationals for the alleged manufacturing of illegal alcohol on Monday 8 September. In the Klapmuts operation police seized bottles, machines and ethanol.
The suspects are expected to be charged for the contravention of the Liquor Act.
Provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile commended the officers involved in the operation, saying it is in line with the provincial policing approach to close outlets that are illegally manufacturing and distributing liquor. “
These operations will be sustained to eradicate alcohol abuse which remains one of the contributing factors to serious and violent crimes, especially over weekends.”
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