Gauteng, South Africa – Seven undocumented migrants aged between 18 and 29 were arrested in a raid on a factory in Daleside, Gauteng, on Monday, November 11, 2024. The factory was involved in the illegal practice of altering expiry dates on expired Lucky Star canned fish and repackaging the products as though they were still safe for consumption. According to Captain Tintswalo Sibeko, spokesperson for the Gauteng police, the joint operation was carried out by Crime Intelligence from Zamdela, Sasolburg, and SAPS Kliprivier in an effort to combat the growing threat of counterfeit goods. The police seized a large quantity of counterfeit Lucky Star pilchards during the raid, along with equipment used to print false expiry dates on the cans. The altered tins were then placed in boxes marked as “Woolworths Food”.
“During the operation, we discovered that the counterfeit goods were being packaged and sold as legitimate products, which could have posed a health risk to unsuspecting consumers,” said Sibeko. The seven suspects arrested were found working at the factory, but the owner of the illegal operation remains at large. The police have opened cases under contravention of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics, and Disinfectants Act (Act 54 of 1972), as well as charges for possession of suspected stolen property and violating the Immigration Act (Act 13 of 2002). “We are still actively investigating the operation, and we urge the public to report any suspicious activities related to counterfeit goods or food safety,” added Sibeko. The seven suspects will appear in court soon, and police are continuing to search for the business owner who fled before the raid.
This incident comes amidst growing concerns about the safety of food products sold in informal markets across the country, particularly in townships. In recent months, several children in Gauteng and other provinces have fallen ill or even died after consuming expired or counterfeit food items, prompting calls for stricter regulations and inspections of spaza shops. “We have seen a worrying trend of food-related illnesses, with some of the victims reportedly ingesting fake and expired products from informal vendors,” said Sibeko. “This operation is part of our broader efforts to ensure that such dangerous practices are identified and dealt with swiftly.” This is not the first instance of illegal food manufacturing being uncovered in Gauteng. Last year, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) uncovered an illegal potato chips factory operated by two foreign nationals. During a routine stop-and-search operation, JMPD officers discovered unapproved packaging and suspected counterfeit chips, leading to the arrest of the two men. Like the current case, seven undocumented workers were detained at the factory, and the owner was not present during the raid.
Such operations raise alarms about the potential scale of counterfeit food products entering the market. Investigations into both the potato chips factory and the Lucky Star canned fish operation highlight the growing problem of food fraud, particularly in informal sectors where regulatory oversight can be lax. IOL has reached out to Woolworths for comment regarding the counterfeit Lucky Star packaging bearing their name. A statement from the retailer is expected in the coming days. As part of the ongoing efforts to clamp down on counterfeit goods, law enforcement officials continue to urge community members to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activities, particularly those involving the sale or distribution of food items that appear to be counterfeit or improperly labelled.
“Protecting the public from dangerous and fraudulent food products is a priority for us,” said Captain Sibeko. “We encourage everyone to report any suspicious activity and help safeguard the health and safety of our communities.”
Man sentenced after he tricked his wife to travel to Sudan for holiday then left her stranded without a passport
Melbourne, Australia – A 52-year-old Australian man, Mohamed Ahmed Omer, has been sentenced to four years in prison for exit trafficking after he tricked his wife into travelling to Sudan with their children, only to leave her there without her passport. Omer, a Sudanese-born Australian citizen, was sentenced on Tuesday by the County Court of Victoria after being found guilty of the crime, making him the first person in Victoria to be convicted of exit trafficking. Exit trafficking occurs when a victim is deceived into leaving the country through coercion or false promises. In this case, Omer manipulated his wife into believing the family was going on a holiday, only to abandon her in Sudan for 16 months. Omer, who had pleaded not guilty to the charges, denied tricking his wife and claimed that she had known about the visa issues. However, the court found otherwise.
In September 2014, Omer and his wife, along with their two children, travelled to Sudan. While his wife believed they were going on a holiday, Omer had secretly cancelled her return visa to Australia in June 2014, leaving her stranded without a way to return. Once in Sudan, Omer took his wife’s passport and boarded a flight back to Australia with their two children, both of whom were under the age of two at the time. Judge Frank Gucciardo, who sentenced Omer, said the crime “required a degree of planning,” noting that the act of leaving his wife in Sudan with no passport or means of returning was an intentional act of cruelty. “You treated her as a chattel that could be simply discarded. She was grief-stricken and traumatised by the departure of her children with you,” Judge Gucciardo said in his ruling.
Once abandoned in Sudan, the woman struggled to understand what had happened. She contacted the Australian Embassy in Egypt, where she learned her visa had been cancelled without her knowledge. Isolated in a foreign country and unable to return to Australia, the woman received legal aid and migration support. Eventually, the Department of Home Affairs issued her a temporary visa, which allowed her to return to Australia at the end of February 2016. Despite the emotional and psychological toll of the ordeal, the judge acknowledged that Omer was a well-educated, community-minded individual but criticized him for his lack of remorse or understanding of the harm he caused. Judge Gucciardo expressed concern that Omer failed to show any remorse for his actions, but noted that his likelihood of re-offending appeared low. The judge also said Omer’s chances for rehabilitation were good if he could develop an understanding of the consequences of his conduct.
Omer’s sentence is part of growing recognition of exit trafficking as a serious crime that can have long-lasting and damaging effects on victims. It highlights the need for better protections for individuals, particularly those who may be vulnerable in relationships marked by coercion or manipulation. The woman’s identity has been withheld for legal reasons, but it is clear that her life was profoundly affected by the events. She was abandoned in a foreign country without resources, separated from her children, and left to navigate a complex legal situation far from home. Omer’s actions, although premeditated, reflect the darker side of coercion and manipulation that can occur within families, and serve as a cautionary tale about the lengths some will go to control and harm others. The case marks an important legal precedent for addressing exit trafficking in Australia and could inspire similar charges in future cases involving deceptive travel or trafficking-related crimes.
