Do not drink home-brewed ‘Smirnoff Vodka’, police warn after KZN raid

Police on Wednesday warned people who bought alcohol brewed at a home in Dududu, KwaZulu-Natal, to not drink the booze, saying it could have deadly consequences.

“We are appealing to anyone who may have purchased this concoction to refrain from drinking it as it may be toxic or fatal,” said police spokesperson Brig Vish Naidoo.

The “fake alcohol” was found when police from Pietermaritzburg reacted to reported suspicious activity at a homestead in the area.

“As they arrived, the suspects spotted the vehicles and fled the scene. Police officers found 20 cases of sealed fake alcohol labelled as 'Smirnoff Vodka' and hundreds of empty bottles that were about to be filled. There were also two drums of alcohol on the scene,” said Naidoo.

As the sale and distribution of alcohol during the coronavirus lockdown remains barred, scores of people have been found to be brewing their own booze.

Naidoo called on the public to report people who were involved in these home-brews for sale.

“We are further appealing to anyone who may have any information on the whereabouts of the suspects that were brewing this concoction to call us on 086 00 10111 or information may to communicated to us via MySAPSApp,” he said.

“All information will be treated with strictest confidence and callers may remain anonymous.”