| Suspect caught mixing ethanol with water | |
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| Date Published: | 2025/11/12 |
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Media Statement KWAZULU-NATAL - On Tuesday, 11 November 2025, a joint operation involving the Hawks members from Port Shepstone Serious Organised Crime Investigation, KwaZulu-Natal Counter Narcotics, Durban Metro Drug Team and SAPS Infrastructure Task Team led to the arrest of a 29-year-old suspect for illegal manufacturing and selling of prohibited liquor in Umlazi. The joint team acted on intelligence information about a tuckshop in Umlazi, where ethanol was being mixed with water and sold as Smirnoff alcohol to unsuspecting customers. The team conducted a disruptive operation and proceeded to the said address. Upon arrival, the suspect was caught “red handed” in the act of mixing pure ethanol with water at a ratio of 1:1 in Smirnoff 750ml bottles for sale. During the search, police seized a large quantity of ethanol, empty Smirnoff bottles, containing the adulterated alcohol and Old Buck bottle caps with an estimated street value of R73 357.50. The suspect was then placed under arrest and charged accordingly. Following the arrest, the suspect led the joint team to a house on Magalela Drive, where they discovered 250-litre empty blue chemical containers. The suspect is expected to appear in the Umlazi Magistrate’s Court on 12 November 2025. The KwaZulu-Natal Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Provincial Head, Major General (Dr) Lesetja Senona commended the members for the good work. “ The joint operation between the Hawks, Counter Narcotics, Metro Drug Team and Infrastructure Task Team underscores the importance of interagency cooperation in the fight against illicit trade and counterfeit goods in KwaZulu-Natal,” he said. Ends
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