‘We Feel Sick’: Authorities Bust Bootlegging Operation After Fake Alcohol Leaves New Year’s Eve Partiers With Severe Hangovers
Police discover a bootleg alcohol production operation following numerous complaints of severe hangovers from individuals who drank amid New Year’s Eve celebrations. (Photo: Markus Spiske/Pexels)
Authorities have apprehended two individuals involved in the illicit trade of bootleg alcohol, uncovering a clandestine manufacturing facility during routine patrols in Khayelitsha’s Harare district of Cape Town, South Africa.
The incident unfolded as City of Cape Town law enforcement officers, on patrol along Oscar Mpetha Road, grew suspicious of a silver Suzuki carrying a substantial load but occupied by only two individuals, Scrolla reported on Monday.
Upon inspecting the vehicle, according to City of Cape Town law enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason, officers discovered 25-liter canisters initially claimed to contain water by the driver. However, the officers’ skepticism eventually led them to the suspects’ place of residence, which turned out to be a fully operational bootleg alcohol factory.
Inside the premises, authorities stumbled upon an array of empty bottles featuring familiar brands like Gordon’s Gin, Jameson Whiskey and Smirnoff Vodka. The discovery extended to labels for these brands, crates packed with sealed caps for gin bottles, branded cardboard boxes and cash, per the report.
Promptly arrested and charged under the Liquor Act, the suspects now face legal consequences. Meanwhile, reports from Khayelitsha residents revealed a disconcerting trend of severe hangovers, signaling the potential widespread distribution of the counterfeit alcohol during New Year’s Eve festivities.
“I was asking myself what had changed because I have been drinking gin for a very long time but recently I began experiencing terrible hangovers and would be so drunk that I would even fear my shoes,” Ziyanda Mxengwana, a woman described as a 35-year-old gin drinker, informed the news outlet.
Mxengwana added that after drinking what she believed was Gordon’s gin, she struggled to eat anything.
“I think it is time to stop supporting people selling alcohol in our townships because they care more about making money than our health; they are killing us,” she continued.
Other individuals reported that the liquor made them feel sick, too weakened to lift a glass of water and unable to go to work.
“I suspected that we were not drinking the same alcohol anymore,” a local shared with Scrolla. “After drinking their fake alcohol, we feel sick and cannot go out for a long time, so people fail to go to work.”
According to Scrolla, the community also voiced concerns over health implications, urging collaborative efforts with law enforcement to intensify inspections at local taverns and ensure the authenticity of alcohol sold in the township.
“We need to work with [the South African Police Service] on this before we are killed by fake alcohol,” another local said, per the report. “We don’t know what they are putting in when they make this stuff but it is not good for our bodies, and we must boycott their places.”
Read next:
Police Seize 74 Cartons of Toxic Gin That Killed at Least 17
4 Individuals Sentenced to Death For Selling Bootleg Alcohol Contaminated With Methanol
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