Eight men from KwaZulu-Natal were arrested in Amalinda, a suburb outside East London in the Eastern Cape, at the weekend.
The arrests came after police uncovered a makeshift factory producing counterfeit liquor worth more than R1-million.
The suspects, aged between 19 and 35, were caught red-handed during a meticulously planned operation led by crime intelligence, with support from public order policing, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, the local criminal record centre, and local officers.
The raid, executed at the weekend, came after a tip-off about suspicious activities at a house in Amalinda, prompting round-the-clock surveillance.
Upon arrival with a search warrant, the team discovered the group actively manufacturing the illegal brew.
Manufacturing equipment, large drums of raw materials, and sealed boxes of finished alcohol products were seized, all destined for the black market.
Homemade concoctions
The operation highlighted the growing threat of unregulated alcohol in the region, where homemade concoctions often evade quality controls and pose severe health risks.
Eastern Cape police spokesperson Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa detailed the sequence of events.
“Crime intelligence members received information about suspicious activities in a house at Amalinda outside East London, and observation was conducted,” said Mawisa.
“The information was swiftly communicated to members of public order policing with a search warrant for disruptive action.
“The team followed the information, and on their arrival, they found eight suspects aged between 19 and 35 years while manufacturing alcohol. All of them are from KwaZulu-Natal. They were immediately arrested.”
She added that the investigation revealed the full extent of the set-up.
“On investigation, police discovered manufacturing machines, large drums, and sealed boxes of alcohol with an estimated street value of more than R1-million.”
Praise for community members
The men are yet to appear in the East London Magistrate’s Court on Monday. They face charges under the Contravention of the Liquor Act and the Counterfeit Goods Act.
“The SAPS [SA Police Service] is extending gratitude to the community members for sharing valuable information with the police that resulted in this major breakthrough,” Mawisa added.
This arrest comes amid heightened concerns over unregulated liquor in the Eastern Cape, a province scarred by the tragic Enyobeni tavern disaster in June 2022.
In that incident, 21 teenagers had gathered to celebrate the end of mid-year exams when they suffocated to death in the overcrowded Scenery Park shebeen, with toxicology reports later pointing to overcrowding and traces of toxic methanol in their systems.
Most of the deceased teenagers were under 18 years.
Four others were injured, and the tavern owners faced charges for violating liquor laws by selling alcohol to minors.
READ MORE: Paramedic reveals fatal methanol was found at Enyobeni Tavern
