Cape Town - A Pelikan Park pensioner accused of running an illegal shebeen was caught hiding alcohol in his couch.
The 69-year-old man was arrested again this week when police raided his home in Peppershrike Road amid clampdowns on illegal outlets ahead of the Christmas weekend.
Grassy Park station commander Dawood Laing said the man, who has been arrested multiple times, thought he was being smart and managed to evade some cops during the raid.
“He has been a problem for years and each time the court just lets him go. He was caught once hiding a firearm, he just doesn’t listen.
“The point is that he does not have a licence and continues to sell liquor. On Wednesday we received a tip-off that he got another shipment and officers went to the house.”
Laing said on arrival the police were refused entry. A Boerboel was used to keep them out. After several demands the officers broke down the gate and tried to access the upper level of the house.
“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 strong liquor.
“I told them it must be here somewhere and that is when I made the discovery. When I moved the couch I heard the tingling of the bottles and lifted the cushions and there was a whole stash of alcohol in boxes.”
Laing said he walked through the lounge and inspected another couch and found that there was more liquor hidden away.
“He removed the net covers and hid it in 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.”
Once at the station cops found that the entire stash was worth R27000.
“The oupa signed an admission of guilt fine and paid R5000 and his driver also paid a fine for interfering of R1 000 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. A crime is a crime. If we tolerate the small crimes we cannot complain about the more serious ones.”