South African police have uncovered two significant counterfeit goods operations in separate raids, arresting six people including four foreign nationals.

In Mpumalanga province, two Ethiopian nationals are appearing in the White River Magistrate’s Court today after police discovered counterfeit items valued at more than R10 million at a storage facility in Rocky’s Drift.

Officers seized fake clothing, body creams, and cigarettes, along with three vehicles including an ambulance allegedly used to transport illegal goods.

In a separate operation in Pinetown, west of Durban, police raided a house being used to manufacture counterfeit hair products. The property belongs to a local pastor who runs a church in Umbilo.

“Initial investigations revealed that the barcodes on the products are of a different product from a North American country,” police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda.

Officers found two undocumented foreign nationals hiding in the ceiling during the raid. Two women, including one foreign national, were also arrested at the scene.

The operation was discovered when police traced a stolen flowbin to the Farningham Ridge property. Documents found during the search showed the fake hair products were being sold to wholesalers and salons across KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces.

The pastor’s branded vehicle, featuring images of himself and his wife alongside various hair product logos, was found at the property during the raid.