BLOEMFONTEIN: A property owner in the Bloemfontein’s CBD where the police discovered expired food including poisonous agricultural products is set to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court soon, facing charges of contravention of various acts. The 81-year-old man was arrested yesterday, Thursday 11 September, during a multidisciplinary sting operation.
Sgt Mahlomola Kareli, provincial spokesperson for the police, said public-private law enforcement officials discovered expired food, including harmful and poisonous agricultural products in the building. He said some of expired products date back as far as 2019, adding that these were found stored alongside food products.
Kareli said the owner of the establishment was facing charges, including theft, possession of suspected stolen goods, contravention of the second-hand goods Act 6 of 2009, and contravention of the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act 36 of 1947. He said the operation was led by the Free State Provincial Organised Crime Unit. Others include Shoprite Group’s investigation team, the Mangaung Metro, Centlec, Firearms, Liquor Licensing and Second-Hand Goods Unit, Parkweg Visible Policing, the Provincial Organised Crime Unit, private security, the Department of Small Business, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Destea), as well as the Department of Agriculture’s Poison Unit.
“The sting operation took place at approximately 08:30 in the Bloemfontein Central Business District. It involved a search warrant executed at a premises allegedly selling second-hand goods to the public. Upon searching the premises, the joint team discovered a significant quantity of illegal and unauthorised items. These included expired food products and goods, unauthorized medication, and products exclusively branded with the Shoprite group’s logo worth an estimated R110 000. These products are not authorized to be sold by a third party,” said Kareli.
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