Five men caught making a dop delivery worth R100 000 are behind bars after they were caught by the City’s Safety and Security Investigations Unit (SSIU).
Mayco Member for Safety and Security JP Smith says the men were arrested by the team who spotted them along Jakes Gerwel Drive in Langa on Saturday shortly after 11am.
“Members pulled over a double cab bakkie with 30 boxes of Wellington brandy and each box contained 12 bottles valued at R50 000. They also found 30 boxes of Smirnoff Vodka worth R50 000,” he said.
The five men aged between 30 and 46 were taken to Langa Police Station while officers confiscated their booze.
The sale of alcohol is prohibited during the Coronavirus lockdown and the men were charged under the Disaster Management Act.
“To wilfully ignore the regulations and proceed to distribute the alcohol is of major concern and must be punished,” said Smith.
“It is also important that we identify the source of the liquor and the wholesaler that continues to sell alcohol to shebeens at this time.”
Last week, Police Minister Bheki Cele announced that no dop sales will be allowed during the 21-day nationwide lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the Coronavirus.
Cele said the previous regulations which allowed liquor stores, taverns, shisanyamas, pubs and clubs, to be open between 9am and 6pm on Mondays to Saturdays and 9am to 1pm on Sundays, no longer applied.
He said people would be allowed to consume alcohol in their homes, but not outside of their homes.