Alcohol confiscations increase year-on-year

13 January 2020

The City’s Liquor Enforcement Unit took receipt of 13 474 bottles of alcohol between 1 December 2019 and 9 January 2020, totaling 7 747.93 litres.

 By 15 January 2019, the unit had taken in 11 389  bottles, totaling 7 299,72 litres.

‘The gap between last year’s confiscations and current will grow even more once the tallies are updated. The liquor enforcement unit is still booking in the weekend’s confiscations, so that won’t be reflecting yet, and we have significantly higher temperatures on the cards this week, which means the potential for further confiscations is high. These statistics paint a very worrying picture. Alcohol abuse remains a central theme of safety messages and awareness campaigns over the festive season, but summer in general. That so many people remain willing to put themselves and others at risk by consuming alcohol on the beach, and then still getting into the water, speaks volumes about the enormity of the challenge.

‘What’s even more frustrating is the lengths people go to, to conceal their actions. The watermelon filled with alcohol that was confiscated over the new year period is but one such example. This proves that they know their actions are illegal, but they forge ahead in any case, and then have the temerity to become riotous when they are called out and held to account,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

Alcohol that is confiscated, is booked into the City’s liquor pound in Ndabeni. The alcohol is destroyed if not collected within three months, in terms of the City’s impoundment policy.

In other enforcement actions in the past week, the Metro Police Department arrested three suspects for driving under the influence and 12 others on a range of charges, including possession of/and dealing in drugs, riotous behaviour and resisting arrest.

Officers recovered:

- 91 packets of tik

- 75 mandrax tablets

- 64 heroin straws 

- 50 bankies of dagga

- 50 dagga stoppe

- 32 dagga cigarettes

- 20 parcels of dagga

- 14 tik straws

- 4 medium packets of dagga

- 4 units of heroin

- R5 680 in cash

In addition, officers assisted numerous motorists who experienced mechanical issues on the N2, R300 and other major routes, and issued 1 628 fines for traffic and by-law transgressions.

Elsewhere on the roads, Cape Town Traffic Service arrested 21 motorists – 18 for driving under the influence of alcohol.

They also issued 330 fines for various transgressions.

Issued by JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, City of Cape Town, 13 January 2020