Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
SOUTH AFRICAN police have arrested six men in Limpopo province in a blitz on cigarette smuggling between South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The arrests occurred on April 24 in the Hoedspruit area where the suspects were transporting contraband cigarettes valued at R390 000 in two vehicles.
The suspects, including five Zimbabweans and a South African, were travelling in a Toyota Dyna truck and a Toyota Hilux GD6 pick-up. Limpopo police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, said the operation was a collaborative effort involving the Limpopo SAPS Anti-Smuggling Team, the Polokwane Tactical Response Team, and members of the Hoedspruit Farm Watch.
Acting on reliable intelligence, police tracked the vehicles, which were suspected of carrying illicit goods.
The convoy was intercepted on the R36 road near Hoedspruit.
A thorough search revealed that the Toyota Hilux contained several boxes of illicit cigarettes, leading to the arrest of its three male occupants.
The Toyota Dyna also had a concealed compartment holding additional illicit cigarettes, resulting in the arrest of its three occupants.
A 9mm pistol was seized from the South African suspect and is undergoing ballistic testing.
Overall, police confiscated 43 boxes of illicit cigarettes along with the two vehicles.
The suspects, aged between 31 and 44, are scheduled to appear in the Hoedspruit Magistrate’s Court next Tuesday, facing charges of possession of illicit cigarettes and violations of the Immigration Act.
South Africa has become a significant destination for smuggled cigarettes, primarily through Beitbridge Border Post and illegal crossings along the Limpopo River.
High levies imposed by South Africa on cigarette exports from Zimbabwe have made legal imports economically unfeasible, prompting many to resort to smuggling.
