JOHANNESBURG: South African Revenue Service (Sars) customs officials at the Lebombo Border Post in Mpumalanga have confiscated undeclared sneakers to an estimated value of R12 million.
The alleged counterfeit goods, destined for South Africa from Mozambique, were discovered by authorities after stopping a truck for inspection in the cargo bypass zone.
Documentation handed over by the driver indicated that the truck he was travelling in was empty.
Sars spokesperson Luther Lebelo says officials then discovered more than 14,000 pairs of sneakers.
“They then discovered that the truck is not empty but it has over 2,948 pairs of Nike, 920 pairs of Puma, 3,415 pairs of Adidas and 6,884 pairs of All Star sneakers.”
The sneakers have been detained pending Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) verification by the various brand holders.
