JMPD uncovers inner‑city operation altering expiry dates and storing suspected stolen cables

Johannesburg Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers uncovered a large‑scale operation in the inner city where expired food was being chemically altered and repackaged for sale, and where cut electrical cables suspected to be stolen municipal property were found, the JMPD said.

How the operation was discovered

The discovery occurred during a high‑impact service delivery operation in the central business district on Wednesday. JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla said officers observed people selling goods from informal trolleys.

“As officers approached the vendors to verify their compliance with city bylaws and check their immigration status, the individuals abandoned their trolleys and fled on foot,”

Fihla said.

Officers pursued the suspects into a building at the corner of Edith Cavell and Plein Streets, where they found what the JMPD described as a large‑scale counterfeit packaging operation.

Expired food allegedly altered and repackaged

Officers found vast quantities of expired perishable goods, including juices and yoghurts. The JMPD said further investigation showed the individuals were allegedly using chemical thinners to erase original expiration dates from packaging, then applying stickers with falsified, extended expiry dates.

Suspected stolen municipal cables found

Inside the premises officers also discovered cut electrical cables. Fihla said,

“The cables are highly suspected to be stolen municipal infrastructure, which directly contributes to the city’s ongoing battles with power disruptions and infrastructure theft.”

Response and ongoing investigation

JMPD Chief of Police, Commissioner Patrick Jaca, visited the scene after the discovery. Jaca said:

“What we uncovered today is not just a violation of municipal bylaws, but a direct and dangerous assault on the health and safety of our residents. Selling expired food by maliciously altering dates shows a complete disregard for human life. Furthermore, finding suspected stolen electrical cables on the same premises underscores how these illicit networks damage our city’s infrastructure. We are intensifying our high‑impact operations, and we will not hesitate to clamp down on those who exploit our inner city for criminal gains,”

The JMPD confirmed the expired consumables and the suspected stolen cables have been confiscated. No arrests have been made at this stage, and a thorough investigation is under way with JMPD working alongside law enforcement agencies and health inspectors, the spokesperson said.

Public warned to be vigilant

The JMPD urged residents to be careful when buying from unregulated vendors and to report suspicious activity. The department gave two contact numbers for reporting: 011 375 5918 and 0800 002 587.