Company denies link to fake goods scam

2000-11-17 15:57

Johannesburg - A Johannesburg security company, Associated Intelligence Network, on Friday vehemently denied a front page report in the Johannesburg Star that its Bramley premises had been raided by police on Thursday night and that counterfeit goods had been seized.

A director of AIN, Gary Lazarus, told Sapa he met members of the police's Gauteng commercial crime unit on Thursday night. He said the police were investigating claims that counterfeit goods seized at Johannesburg International Airport and stored at AIN, were missing.

Lazarus said the boxes of counterfeit goods were seized and sealed by the border police some time ago and were only stored at AIN because the SAPS' 13 warehouses did not have enough room for it.

"We met the police, they did not have a warrant, but asked if they could count the stuff we are storing." he said.

"They counted it, and nothing was missing."

Lazarus also denied claims that charges were being investigated against any of the company's employees, including a number of former top policemen. He said one of the former policemen mentioned in the report, Jack le Grange, left the company about eight months ago.

The head of the commercial crime unit, Superintendent Wessie van der Westhuizen said an investigation was launched after complaints from traders that counterfeit clothing had gone missing.

He said his unit went to count the containers at the venue where they were stored.

Van der Westhuizen said there were a couple of private companies that provided storage facilities for the police, because the police warehouses could not handle the number of counterfeit goods confiscated.

AIN was one of these companies, because it had good security.

"They have guards on a 24-hour basis and they also have security cameras," Van der Westhuizen said.

The volume of counterfeit goods being imported into South Africa had increased recently, he said.

"It (counterfeit goods) comes from the Far East in large volumes and is brought into the country via the Johannesburg International Airport, but mostly through the harbours at Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town."

Van der Westhuizen said he decided to remove the goods from AIN to the police warehouse in Kempton Park while the investigation into the alleged disappearance of counterfeit goods was underway.

He denied that the police raided the company's premises and that charges were being investigated against any AIN employees.

If importers of counterfeit goods were found guilty, the goods were usually destroyed.

Van der Westhuizen said a journalist and photographer were arrested at the AIN premises for allegedly impersonating police intelligence officers. They would appear in court on Friday. - Sapa

- SAPA