Image: Michele Spatari/ AFPSource: Getty ImagesJOHANNESBURG — Nine undocumented foreign nationals were taken into custody following a joint enforcement operation at Joburg Mall in the city's central business district on Wednesday. According to eNCA, the raid was spearheaded by the National Counterfeit and Illicit Goods Unit, with officers removing electronics and various non-compliant products from traders. Illicit trade draining SA economyPolice spokesperson Colonel Amanda van Wyk drew attention to the wider economic consequences of the counterfeit goods trade. She noted that illicit traders redirect revenue away from legitimate businesses, suppress local manufacturing, and contribute to rising unemployment. This operation unveiled shocking conditions, including undocumented foreign nationals hiding in precarious locations to evade law enforcement.