Johannesburg CBD volatile after cops seize counterfeit goods

Police were pelted with rocks and other objects after a raid to seize counterfeit goods in the Johannesburg inner city on Sunday.

Gauteng police spokesperson Brig Mathapelo Peters said officers from the SA Police Service (SAPS) and Johannesburg metro police department (JMPD) and brand owners were confiscating counterfeit goods at the Madiba Building on the corner of Jeppe and Von Wielligh streets when they were attacked.

Peters said police fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd that grew "rapidly" in number.

"While no law enforcement members sustained injuries, an unconfirmed number of police vehicles were damaged and barriers set alight.

"Police will remain on the scene to ensure that no further violence erupts."

Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela condemned the incident.

"We cannot allow such lawlessness to go unpunished."