VEREENIGING – This is after foreign nationals tried to resist their counterfeit products from being taken away last week Wednesday.
After the confiscation of the goods, dozens of foreign shop owners convoyed to the police station, a stone throw away, where they stormed the copshop and assaulted members.
When scores of angry shop owners were dispersed from the copshop, they attacked cops, throwing rocks and bottles at them. A high ranking police officer was injured during the mayhem when foreigners pelted objects. Backup was sought from Public Order Policing, who attended to the scene and fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.
Traffic was disrupted and motorists had to use alternative routes to enter and exit the city centre.
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, Vereeniging police spokesman Captain Fikile Funda said three suspects were arrested.
“We received an intelligence on illicit cigarettes concealed in some of the shops in our town. Following the tip-off, our members operationalized the intel and during the operation, a was searched and illicit cigarettes amounting to the value of R800 000 was found and confiscated.,” he said.
“Two suspects were arrested for the fake cigarettes and one suspect was arrested for attacking a police officer,” he added.
