Pretoria – Officials from the South African Revenue Service’s (SARS) customs unit have confiscated undeclared sneakers with an estimated street value of R11.3 million at the Lebombo border post in Mpumalanga.
“This is the largest bust, with the highest value ever seized at the border post,” said SARS on Sunday.
The 14 167 pairs of branded sneakers, potentially counterfeit, which were destined for the South African market from Mozambique were discovered on Thursday when customs officials stopped a truck in the cargo bypass area for further inspection.
Documentation handed over by the driver indicated that the truck and its trailer were empty.
Officials questioned the truck driver, before discovering that the truck and its trailer contained boxes of sneakers which had not been declared. The vehicle was detained at Lebombo States Warehouse for further inspection.
A full inspection of the vehicle and trailer led to the discovery of 2 948 pairs of Nike shoes, 920 pairs of Puma shoes, 3415 pairs of Adidas shoes and 6 884 pairs of All Stars sneakers.
The sneakers were detained pending intellectual property rights (IPR) verification by the various brand holders.
The truck was also detained to determine if it is liable for forfeiture.
SARS said a case has been opened with the police for further investigation.
“This is a major seizure by SARS customs who implement daily inspections at all ports of entry in an effort to foil the smuggling of goods. SARS will continue to work with other law enforcement agencies to protect the country and its citizens by disrupting organised crime and reducing illicit trade activities,” said SARS. - SAnews.gov.za
