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The suspects are facing charges related to the contravention of the Liquor Act and appeared before the Stellenbosch and Cape Town magistrate’s court, respectively. Stock photo.
Police in the Western Cape arrested five Malawians for illegally manufacturing alcohol at a farm in Faure, Stellenbosch, on Friday.
Officers taking part in Operation Shanela in the province followed up on a lead about a facility illegally manufacturing and distributing alcohol.
“The members descended on a farm located in Faure, Stellenbosch, where they uncovered a fully operational illegal alcohol manufacturing facility inside a building on the property.”
Police said they arrested five suspects, aged between 26 and 45, and also confiscated large quantities of illicit alcohol and manufacturing equipment.
“Equipment used in the production of counterfeit or unregulated liquor was discovered and includes plastic containers filled with chemicals, hundreds of empty and pre-filled liquor bottles, industrial-grade bottling and capping machinery and boxes.”
Further investigations led the police to a storage facility in Woodstock, Cape Town, where a sixth suspect, a Chinese foreign national, aged 53, was apprehended.
“A substantial quantity of illegal, pre-packaged alcohol was confiscated at the second location, suspected to be ready for distribution,” police said.
The suspects are facing charges related to the contravention of the Liquor Act and appeared in the Stellenbosch and Cape Town magistrates’ courts.
Western Cape police commissioner Lt-Gen Thembisile Patekile said the arrests formed part of the province’s fight against the illicit manufacturing and distribution of alcohol.
“These operations will be sustained in an effort to eradicate alcohol abuse which remains one of the contributing factors to serious and violent crimes, especially over weekends.”
TimesLIVE
[SRC] https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2025-10-04-five-malawians-and-chinese-national-nabbed-in-western-cape-for-illegally-manufacturing-alcohol/
