An oupa who runs a smokkie in Pelikan Park learnt a trick or two from President Cyril Ramaphosa when he stashed pricey dop in his couches at his home.
The 69-year-old oupa runs an illegal smokkelhuis and was busted after cops heard the clinking of bottles when they raided his home in Peppershrike Road, as authorities crack down on illegal outlets ahead of the Christmas weekend.
Grassy Park station commander, Colonel Dawood Laing, says the ou ballie, who has been arrested multiple times before, had thought he was being slim as he tried to flous cops.
Laing says: “He has been a problem for years and each time the court just lets him go.
“He was even caught once hiding a firearm for the Six Bobs and just doesn’t listen.
“The point is he does not have a licence, but continues to sell liquor. On Wednesday, we received a tip-off that he got another shipment and officers went to the house.”
Laing says on arrival, cops were refused entry and a large boerboel was used to keep them out. After several demands, the officers proceeded to break down the gate.
He says: “They kept refusing to open up and one of his guards who also works as the driver to fetch the liquor started interfering.
“Eventually they opened up and the officers found some cases of beer, but could not find the strong liquor. I told them it must be there somewhere and that is when I made the discovery.
“When I moved the couch, I heard the clinking of the bottles and lifted the cushions and there was a whole stash of sterk wyn in boxes.”
Laing says he inspected another couch and found more bottles, reminiscent of when suspected skelms stole hundreds of thousands of US dollars hidden in couches on Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo.
Laing says: “He removed the net covers and hid them there. When I opened the boxes, I found all the strong stuff. There was Johnny Walker, Richelieu, Vat 69 and lots of other bottles.
“He told me that that was his December supply which he planned on drinking himself. I confiscated all the wine and arrested him.”
He says at the station, they did calculations and found that the stash was worth R27 000.
Laing says: “The oupa signed an admission-of-guilt fine and paid R5 000, and his driver also paid a fine of R1 000 for interfering and this goes on their records.
“The problem with sending them to court is that the courts do not see it as a serious offence, but it has serious consequences when this alcohol is being sold to children.”