MPUMALANGA – A 49-year-old foreign national from Lesotho has been arrested in Mpumalanga after being found in possession of dagga valued at approximately R260,000. The arrest occurred during Operation Shanela, a crime-fighting initiative led by local law enforcement. According to Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, the arrest took place on Thursday along the N4 Road between the Middelburg toll gate and the Nelson Mandela Drive off-ramp near Witbank. Members of the Middelburg flying squad unit were conducting routine patrols in the area when they noticed a suspicious white Toyota Hilux double cab bakkie with Gauteng registration plates. The vehicle, which was driven by a single occupant, appeared to be in poor condition, with one of the rear tyres visibly flat. Police stopped the vehicle and conducted a search, during which they discovered 13 large bags of dagga, weighing a total of approximately 259 kilograms. The estimated street value of the drugs is around R260,000.
“The vehicle was stopped and searched, and 13 bags of dagga were found inside. The dagga weighed around 259 kilograms, and it is valued at approximately R260,000,” Mdhluli said. The driver, a Lesotho national, was immediately arrested and charged with possession of dagga and dealing in dagga. He is expected to appear before the eMalahleni Magistrate’s Court on Monday to face the charges. Acting Provincial Commissioner of Police in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, commended the Middelburg flying squad for their vigilance and dedication to tackling crime. “The members are working hard and with great enthusiasm to fight crime in the province. Their continued efforts are commendable, and I encourage them to keep up the excellent work,” Mkhwanazi said.
The arrest is part of ongoing efforts under Operation Shanela, which focuses on combating various forms of criminal activity across the province, including the illegal trade in drugs.
Woolworths believes expired Lucky Star batch is part of substandard, imported stock it rejected
JOHANNESBURG – Retail giant Woolworths has confirmed that it is aware of an ongoing police investigation into the discovery of a counterfeit goods factory in Gauteng, where workers were found packaging expired Lucky Star pilchards into Woolworths-branded cartons. The discovery follows a police raid on Wednesday at a factory in Daleside, where authorities arrested seven undocumented migrants for allegedly altering expiry dates on expired canned fish. The seven suspects, aged between 18 and 29, appeared before the Vereeniging Magistrate’s Court on Thursday and were remanded in custody. The owner of the operation remains at large. According to Gauteng provincial police spokesperson, Captain Tintswalo Sibeko, the police seized a significant quantity of counterfeit Lucky Star pilchards during the raid. In addition to the altered cans of fish, authorities uncovered printing equipment used to manipulate the expiry dates on the packaging.
“The counterfeit tins of Lucky Star pilchards were being repackaged into boxes marked ‘Woolworths Food,’” said Sibeko. “This operation violated several regulations, including the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act and the Immigration Act.” In response to the findings, Woolworths issued a statement on Saturday, expressing concern over the situation. The retailer stated that it strongly believes the affected canned fish products may have been part of a rejected batch of imported stock that failed to meet the company’s rigorous quality control standards. “While the investigation is ongoing, we have reason to believe that the product in question may have come from a batch of imported goods that was rejected by Woolworths for not meeting our stringent quality control standards,” Woolworths said. “It is the supplier’s responsibility to collect and dispose of any rejected stock. We are investigating why this process was not followed in this instance.”
The retailer reiterated its commitment to food safety and customer wellbeing, emphasizing that the company takes these matters “extremely seriously.” Woolworths also reminded customers that Woolworths-branded products should only be purchased at Woolworths stores or through its official online platform. “We would like to remind our customers that Woolworths-labelled products must only be purchased at Woolworths stores or through our Woolworths online channel,” the statement read. This discovery adds to a growing list of food safety concerns involving counterfeit and substandard products in South Africa. Earlier this year, authorities also cracked down on a butchery in Ekurhuleni that was caught selling expired Woolworths-branded meat products. Woolworths has since taken action in that case, including recalling affected products and working with local law enforcement.
Woolworths also emphasized that it is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation and is committed to ensuring that any affected products are removed from the market. The seven individuals arrested during the raid face charges under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, as well as violations of the Immigration Act. Police continue to search for the owner of the operation. As the investigation continues, Woolworths has urged customers who may have concerns regarding any of their food products to contact the company directly.
