adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
TWO South African nationals were arrested at the Mphoengs Border Post while trying to smuggle cigarettes worth R30,000 into Botswana. Drilea Neculia, 69, and Sakota Dragoljub, 58, were arrested on Thursday last week while they were driving a South African registered motor vehicle on their way to the neighbouring country.
They appeared before Plumtree magistrate, Gideon Ruvetsa, facing charges of smuggling and using a vehicle with a secret compartment adapted for purposes of concealing goods.
Ruvetsa remanded the two men in custody to tomorrow.
Neculia and Dragoljub were intercepted at Mphoengs Border Post by police from the Minerals and Border Control Unit and Criminal Investigation while on their way to South Africa. Upon searching the vehicle police detectives found the cigarettes which were hidden in a secret compartment.
Prosecuting, Rose Sibanda said the two men were found in possession of 724 bricks and 250 single units of Dullahs cigarettes, 682 bricks and 652 single units of Seville single unit cigarettes.
“The two South African nationals arrived at Mphoengs Border Post on January 21 at about midday in a South African registered motor vehicle. Police detectives who were on duty at the border intercepted the vehicle at the exit point after the two men had gone through all border formalities.
“The detectives diverted the car to the border complex search bay and indicated that they wanted to search the vehicle,” said Sibanda.
She said the police discovered a secret compartment at the back of the vehicle and ordered the two men to open it. Sibanda said police discovered a compressor which was fitted to the vehicle where they found some cigarettes hidden inside.
“The police, upon further searching, found an additional fuel tank in the loading box where they discovered more bricks of cigarettes hidden inside.
“They also discovered some cigarettes which were stashed away in a luggage compartment, gas cylinder tank and another compressor,” she said.
Sibanda said the two men failed to produce declaration forms for the cigarettes which they were transporting resulting in their arrest.
She said the goods were seized by a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority official. The total value of the recovered cigarettes was R30, 000.
A number of people have been arrested attempting to smuggle cigarettes into South Africa or Botswana where they sell them at a higher price.
Online Reporter