Johannesburg – The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) has uncovered an illegal potato chip manufacturing operation in Sandton and arrested seven persons for being in South Africa illegally.
The JMPD said Region E officers uncovered the unlicenced operation along Zinna Drive, Marlboro, on Friday (24 November 2023), during a routine stop-and-search operation.
Narrating events leading to the crime bust, the JMPD said Region E officers stopped a white panel van with two male occupants.
The JMPD officers found boxes in the vehicle.
“After close examination, the officers found that the address on the packages of potato chips found in the boxes did not correspond with the manufacturer’s address, and they did not have the SABS mark of approval,” the JMPD said in a statement released on Monday.
“The officers escorted the male occupants of the panel van to the manufacturer’s address in Marlboro.
“Environmental Health Inspectors were summoned to the scene and it was discovered that the owner doesn’t have a manufacturer certificate and relevant documents for operating the business.”
The JMPD said Home Affairs officials were roped in to verify the immigration status of the workers found at the chip manufacturing plant.
It was established that all seven employees at the business were illegal immigrants.
“All seven of the undocumented persons were detained at Bramley Police Station and the owner of the business is still at large,” the JMPD said.
