Pretoria - Members of the Ekurhuleni metro police department (EMPD) have confiscated batches of expired Woolworths-branded meat, vegetables and other perishable food products from a butchery along Cloverdene Road in Benoni.
EMPD spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Kelebogile Thepa said meat worth almost R50 000 was seized and disposed of.
“On Thursday 2 February 2023 at 4pm, the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department officers, in conjunction with environmental health officials, confiscated and disposed of expired goods worth R48 000,” said Thepa.
“The City of Ekurhuleni officials, on a mission to inspect and attend to those who contravene municipal by-laws, visited Butcher Chesa Nyama’s business place on Cloverdene Road. On closer inspection in one of the butcheries, health inspectors noticed that 90 percent of stock was outdated. Especially poultry and other perishables were unsound for human consumption and health.”
Thepa said the business owner was issued with a “hefty fine” after she admitted that she bought “second-hand perishables at low prices in one of the well-known retail shops”.
She said all the expired goods were confiscated and disposed of at the Cloverdene dumping site.
Earlier this week, the EMPD arrested a 38-year-old woman for alleged possession of a large quantity of pharmaceutical medication, and for trying to bribe police officers with R1 000.
“On Tuesday, January 31, 2023, at 3pm, the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department specialised services and Gauteng Traffic Police specialist law enforcement unit officers arrested a 38-year-old female passenger for attempting to bribe the law enforcers and recovered suspicious items found in the vehicle,” said Thepa.
“During their patrol, officers spotted a suspicious white Volkswagen Polo sedan with two occupants, a male driver who appears to be from an e-hailing service, with a female passenger.”
Thepa said the vehicle was stopped and searched.
“The officers found four boxes of codeine syrup, containing 50 bottles in each box. An interview was conducted by officers and the female passenger offered the officers a bribe of R1 000,” she added.
IOL