SAPS seizes R10 million in counterfeit goods during Bellville raid

A multidisciplinary police operation at a Bellville shopping complex on Tuesday, 16 June 2026, seized counterfeit and illicit goods with an estimated value of R10 million, police said.

Raid targets dozens of shops

The operation targeted more than 40 shops at the local shopping complex in Bellville, Cape Town, according to the national police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk. The seizure included high-end counterfeit branded clothing, shoes, bags, watches, sunglasses, caps and branded packaging.

Who took part in the operation

Van Wyk said the raid was carried out by the South African Police Service’s national and Western Cape Counterfeit and Illicit Goods Units, supported by a multidisciplinary team made up of members from the Cape Town Metropolitan Police Department, City of Cape Town Law Enforcement and brand protectors.

Part of an intensified crackdown

The Bellville action forms part of an intensified SAPS crackdown on counterfeit goods aimed at disrupting supply chains for illicit items in the Western Cape. Van Wyk noted this was the second major operation at the same shopping complex within a week.

“These operations form part of nationwide efforts to dismantle the trade in counterfeit and illicit goods, which threaten public safety, legitimate businesses and the country’s economy,” van Wyk said.

Seizures within the week

The spokesperson said a similar takedown at the same complex a week earlier resulted in the seizure of counterfeit goods valued at more than R98 million. Combined, the two operations yielded seizures totalling more than R100 million within the week.

Enforcement and next steps

Police described the Bellville raid as part of broader nationwide efforts to curb the illicit trade in counterfeit products. The report named the participating law-enforcement units and stakeholders involved in the operation.