JOBURG cops have nabbed a 70-year-old dad and his son (36)for running a backyard illicit alcohol lab in Midrand.
On Wednesday, 7 August, the Gauteng Highway Patrol pouncedafter a brave resident raised the alarm about dodgy goings on at the property.
After a tip-off from a concerned resident, police went tothe property.
On arrival, they found an illicit alcohol manufacturingplant valued at R2 million.
Gauteng police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondosaid: "When our members arrived, they found all sorts of illegal booze brandy,gin, rum, and vodka even bottles pretending to be famous brands. There wereunknown chemicals everywhere, too, which we suspect were being mixed up to makethe fake alcohol."
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Masondo told Daily Sun that top crimebusters from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation swooped in tocheck out the scene.
"The team immediately arrested the son, who was caught redhanded. After further investigation it wasn't long before the long arm ofthe law reached the father as well" said Masondo.
The pair are now facing the music in the Midrand MagistratesCourt on a range of heavy charges including dealing in illegal liquor andbreaking both the Liquor Act and Customs Act.
Illicit alcohol is a major headache for Mzansi - with dodgybooze costing the country billions in lost tax and putting people's health atrisk.
Experts say the illegal booze market is worth over R25billion, with the government losing R16,5 billion in tax every year from fakeand untaxed alcohol.
