Mar 2012

Stamping out piracy and forged goods

Written by Mbulelo Baloyi
Police have scored major successes against pirated and counterfeit goods in recent months. This follows a nationwide campaign to stamp out the increasing incidents of pirated goods such as digital versatile discs (DVDs) and counterfeit cigarettes.

Police have scored major successes against pirated and counterfeit goods in recent months. This follows a nationwide campaign to stamp out the increasing incidents of pirated goods such as digital versatile discs (DVDs) and counterfeit cigarettes.

In mid-January, members of the South African Police Service, the Johannesburg Metro Police Department, inspectors from the Customs Section of the South African Revenue Service and members of the South African National Defence Force netted almost 4 000 fake DVDs and compact discs (CDs) during a stop and search operations in central Johannesburg.

Copyright

In addition, police in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West and KwaZulu-Natal also arrested suspects found with counterfeit cigarettes.

In addition, the police arrested suspects found with equipment to write DVDs and CDs to produce fake music and movies The suspects were charged with copyright infringement.

Police are warning members of the public that not only the people who unlawfully copy and sell DVDs and CDs containing material protected in terms of the Copyright Act are guilty of an offence, but those who buy these counterfeit products are also guilty and may face prosecution.

Forged documents

In November last year, detectives from OR Tambo International Airport arrested two Chinese nationals in Edenvale, Gauteng after they were found with forged documents which included foreign passports, University of South Africa degrees, as well as stolen government equipment in the form of Home Affairs stamps.

To report incidents of crime, call CRIME STOP: 08600 10111
Safety and Security
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