• Officials found a fake alcohol factory in an abandoned Cape Town house where counterfeit whiskey and gin were being made.

• Some of the sealed bottles contained watered-down booze while others held unknown chemicals.

People in the Eastern Cape are telling their Cape Town relatives not to bring alcohol home for Christmas after officials found a fake booze factory in Dunoon.

The criminals were making fake versions of popular alcohol brands, but what shocked police was seeing lace-trimmed underwear being used as a filter in the manufacturing process.

Alcohol is often abundant during initiation school passing-out ceremonies, known as “umgidi”, in the Eastern Cape.

JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security, said law enforcement received a tip-off about people making fake alcohol.

“Upon investigating the information, they entered an abandoned building in Dunoon, and they found various filled, sealed bottles resembling whiskey and gin. Empty bottles of the same were also found, along with 25 litres of unknown chemicals nearby,” said Smith.

The police found no suspects at the house but opened an investigation.

Officials discovered that the criminals were watering down real branded alcohol and repackaging it as original products.

They seized 150 litres of alcohol, 60 bottles of Old Buck gin, 24 bottles of Gordon’s gin, and six bottles of Johnnie Walker Red Label. They also found new bottle caps, empty branded boxes, and equipment used to make the fake alcohol.

Monwabisi Njokwana, 39, from Dunoon, said he usually takes alcohol to the Eastern Cape but has been told to stop.

“I was also buying alcohol this side and taking it to the Eastern Cape, but not anymore. They don’t want it, saying that I would kill them with the fake alcohol being made in Cape Town. But we are happy that the officials are discovering these places,” said Njokwana.

Lwando Mnana from Port St Johns said he told his cousin to throw away cheap alcohol bought in Cape Town.

“He had already bought five bottles of Old Buck. I told him to throw it away. That is why they are saying the alcohol is cheap—because they are buying from people who stock from places making fake alcohol,” said Mnana.

Pictured above: An abandoned building manufacturing liquor in Dunoon in Cape Town was discovered by officials.

Source: Supplied