Pinetown Police has said three men have been arrested after they were caught red-handed illegally distilling liquor and branding it as vodka in Westmead at Pinetown, South Africa.
The illegal distillery was discovered during an investigation by officers on Wednesday, from the police’s crime intelligence unit, members of the KwaZulu-Natal Liquor Board, a courier company and a brewery expert.
Police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda says, “During observation, it was uncovered that the gates to the building were always shut, however, the suspects were continuing with their shenanigans behind closed doors. Upon tactically penetrating the building, police found three men in the act of bottling self-made liquor into bottles branded with the name of a well-known vodka brand.”
“Branded boxes, tons of liquor, a matrix printer and bottle caps all valued to approximately R400 000 were recovered and seized. The three suspects, aged between 29 and 42 years old, will appear in court soon,” adds Netshiunda.