Pinetown police uncover counterfeit hair product factory

Police have uncovered a house being used as a factory to manufacture counterfeit and illicit hair products in Somerset Place, Farningham Ridge.

The discovery was made on Tuesday afternoon during an investigation into stolen property.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said officers were acting on intelligence related to a stolen flow-bin in Westmead. Their search led them to the Somerset Place property, where the stolen item was recovered.

"During the search, police found that the house was being used to manufacture various hair products," said Colonel Netshiunda.

Preliminary investigations revealed that barcodes on the products were linked to a different product from a North American country.

During the operation, two undocumented foreign nationals were found hiding in the ceiling and were arrested. Two women, including one foreign national, were also taken into custody.

Colonel Netshiunda said the house belongs to a foreign national who is a pastor of a church in Umbilo.

Invoices discovered at the scene indicated that the counterfeit products were sold to well-known wholesalers, retail stores, and hair salons, primarily in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. A search for the house owner is ongoing.

The arrested suspects, aged between 34 and 37, are expected to appear in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

This raid comes shortly after police in KwaZulu-Natal uncovered two warehouses in Bluff storing expired food items and hazardous chemicals. The items included canned fish, fizzy drinks, baby food, and spices stored alongside dangerous pesticides.

Authorities have called on the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities involving counterfeit or unsafe goods.