Gin, Badges, and Bootlegs: Cop Among Five Arrested in Eastern Cape Counterfeit Alcohol Bust

A police sergeant tasked with upholding the law now stands accused of breaking itallegedly as a key player in a counterfeit alcohol syndicate operating in the Eastern Cape.

The 40-year-old sergeant, stationed at a local police station, was among five suspects arrested during coordinated intelligence-driven raids on 11 February 2026. The operations, spanning Ngqamakhwe, Butterworth, and Msobomvu Township, targeted the illegal manufacturing and distribution of fake versions of popular alcoholic brands, including Gordon’s Gin and Old Buck Gin, sold at discounted prices to unsuspecting consumers.

The Hauls: Chemicals, Stickers, and Empty Bottles

In Ngqamakhwe, a joint operation by Butterworth Visible Policing, Mthatha DPCI, and brand owners netted two suspects aged 33 and 40the latter being the serving police sergeant. According to police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana, the haul included:

• Boxes of counterfeit Old Buck Gin

• 25-litre containers filled with unknown chemicals

• Over 1,300 counterfeit stickers

• Large quantities of empty bottles and cardboard packaging

• Pre-mixed alcohol concoctions

The estimated value of the confiscated goods in Ngqamakhwe alone is R250,000.

In Butterworth’s Qolora Close, two suspects, aged 29 and 33, were arrested after police uncovered 175 bottles of fake Gordon’s Dry Gin, nine bottles of counterfeit Old Buck Gin, five 25-litre bulk containers, and an array of manufacturing equipment including glue guns, funnels, and bottle caps. Value: R100,000.

A third operation in Msobomvu Township led to the arrest of a 61-year-old suspect. Seized items included multiple cases of counterfeit Russian Bear Vodka, Gordon’s Gin, and Old Buck Gin, along with 250-litre containers of flammable liquid and additional 25-litre drums of bootleg product. Value: R90,000.

Total estimated street value of the seized counterfeit goods: R440,000.

“No One Is Above the Law”

Brigadier Gantana confirmed that all five suspects face charges related to the manufacturing and possession of counterfeit alcohol. Further profiling and investigative work are ongoing.

“The South African Police Service has reiterated that no one is above the law,” Gantana said. “Any police official found to be involved in criminal conduct will face the full might of the law.”

The statement is pointed. A police station’s sergeantthe very symbol of community safety in a local precinctallegedly moonlighting as a bootleg gin baron. It is the kind of contradiction that corrodes public trust faster than any counterfeit sticker ever could.

The Bigger Picture

This is not a victimless crime. Counterfeit alcohol poses serious health risks; consumers have no idea what chemicals have been mixed into those 25-litre drums. Legitimate manufacturers lose revenue, the fiscus loses excise duties, and criminal networks gain footholds in the licit economy.

The SAPS has vowed to “root out corruption within its ranks.” But each arrest of an officerespecially one stationed at a local police stationsends a message far louder than any press release. It tells the public that the uniform is no guarantee of integrity, and that the war on crime is sometimes fought against the very people paid to wage it.

The five suspects are expected to appear in court soon. For the sergeant among them, the coming days will bring a choice of legal representation, a bail application, and the slow, humiliating dismantling of a career built on an oath to protect.

{Source: Citizen}

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