A joint operation led by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit in Nelspruit, together with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), White River Flying Squad and Acornhoek Local Criminal Record Centre, resulted in the arrest of a 50-year-old pharmacy owner and four employees in Acornhoek on Thursday, 9 October 2025.

The arrests follow information received by SAHPRA regarding unlawful activities at the pharmacy. Officers executed a search warrant at the premises, where four employees — two women aged 35 and 44, and two men aged 35 and 48 — were found dispensing medication without being able to provide proof of the required qualifications.

The owner was not present at the time but was called to the scene. Upon arrival, he also failed to produce a valid operating licence or any qualifications. Authorities further discovered that the business was not registered with the South African Pharmacy Council.

Scheduled medicines, from Schedule 1 to Schedule 6, were confiscated. The value of the seized medication is yet to be confirmed pending expert assessment and further investigation.

Major General Nico Gerber, Provincial Head of the Hawks in Mpumalanga, welcomed the successful operation and partnership between the agencies involved.

“It has been six years, since 2019, that this establishment has been operating. One cannot imagine how many people may have been affected. We are relieved that it has now been shut down and further harm to the community will be prevented,” he said.

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