Superintendent Joyce Khuzwayo told Sapa the five were arrested on Dr Yusuf Dadoo Street (formerly Grey Street) and Warwick Avenue on Thursday afternoon and were in possession of melamine-contaminated milk powder with an estimated street value of R20 000. This included 60 tins of Nestle Lactogen 1 and Nido 1.
It was further determined that all five hawkers were foreigners operating without permits.
Khuzwayo said it was believed the products had been stolen from a delivery truck and a shop.
The suspects were to appear in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Friday on several charges including the possession of stolen goods.
DoH recalled products
The health deparment recalled two baby products earlier this week after they were found to contain high levels of melamine.
At the time, the department's spokesman Leon Mbangwa said Nestle's Nido Growing up Milk for 1-year-olds, and a batch of Lactogen Starter Infant Formula with iron had been recalled.
Tests on a sample, he said, had shown that Lactogen contained a level of 1.6 mg/kg of melamine and Nido 3 mg/kg of melamine.
"This is more than the internationally accepted level of 1mg/kg for foodstuffs intended for infants and young children, such as infant formula, applied by the department of health as a cut-off level."
The department said information from the manufacturer indicated that the product was made in South Africa and contained only locally produced ingredients such as fresh milk and animal feed. – (Sapa)
Read more:
Melamine found in SA baby formula
Melamine scandal: are we at risk?
November 2008