GAUTENG — A major counterfeit detergent manufacturing operation has been dismantled in the Windmill Park informal settlement, leading to the arrest of two foreign nationals by the Hawks. The suspects, aged 37 and 50, were taken into custody by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team and Springs-based Public Order Policing after authorities uncovered an illicit facility producing fake Unilever and Colgate-Palmolive household products.
The investigation was initiated following a tip-off from a brand holder who reported a suspected makeshift facility churning out unauthorized foam bath and detergent items. Acting on this intelligence, investigators executed a targeted raid on two separate addresses within the Windmill Park informal settlement on Tuesday, 18 August 2026.
During the search, authorities uncovered vast stockpiles of both finished goods and raw chemical components. The recovered finished items included dishwashing liquid, thick bleach, fabric softener, and foam bath. Investigators allege that the suspects blended raw chemicals inside 200-litre barrels before transferring the mixtures into recycled containers. These containers were then fraudulently labeled to mimic legitimate products from major manufacturers like Unilever and Colgate-Palmolive.
The raw materials seized at the makeshift plant include sodium chloride, sodium hypochlorite, soda ash light, Kulubrite, and caustic soda. These specific compounds are standard ingredients in the industrial production of soaps and cleaning agents. Additionally, police confiscated a supply of uncleaned containers that were staged for washing and future repackaging operations.
To build a comprehensive legal case, all confiscated chemicals and finished products will undergo rigorous forensic chemical analysis. This testing is essential to verify the exact composition of the materials and to legally prove that the items are counterfeit and in violation of relevant intellectual property and commercial legislation.
The two arrested individuals remain in custody and are scheduled to make their first appearance at the Vosloorus Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 19 August 2026.
