While most South Africans are taking a break, completely oblivious to the opportunistic crimes at our borders, brave little detector dogs were hard at work at the Lebombo border post. They managed to give their handlers an early Christmas present - a R3 million counterfeits bust.
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) seized possible counterfeit shoes with an estimated value of R3 million this past weekend. The revenue collector has the Customs Detector Dog Unit (DDU) to thank.
The dogs helped SARS officers search a truck with two trailers entering South Africa at the Lebombo border post with Mozambique. They found 5 237 pairs of various branded sneakers and sandals, loaded in the back of the trailers of the truck.
The shoes have been handed over to the South African Customs State Warehouse for further processing. SARS is also engaging with the companies owning the brands found in the truck to confirm the authenticity of the items, but it believes that they are counterfeit.
"The lawful production of clothing and textile industry in the country needs to be supported, and SARS has shown once again that it is playing its part to foster industrial growth and job creation," said SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter.
He added that SARS is determined to make noncompliance with South African customs hard and costly for anyone who transgresses the law.
At the end of October, SARS reported that it seized millions of rands worth of illegal or illicit goods in various joint searches over the past few months. It led an intelligence-driven operation with its own and the SA Police Service enforcement teams
Operations targeting cross-border smuggling and noncompliance in the cigarette and tobacco industry found raw tobacco, allegedly imported from Zimbabwe, illegally imported cartons of cigarettes and face creams, narcotics and 18 men hidden in the false compartment of a truck trying to enter SA illegally, in one incident.
It also found illicit alcohol, booze packaging, distillery machinery and suspected smuggled clothing, textile, leather and footwear, among other things.
"While we have made it easy and simple to comply, we will not tolerate criminals and syndicates that impede the economic prosperity of our country and the well-being of our citizens," he said.