SOUTH African police (SAPS) have arrested six men believed
to be Zimbabweans after they intercepted haulage trucks that were carrying
cigarettes worth millions of rands that had been smuggled across the border
from this country.
The suspects were arrested after a joint intelligence operation
by the SAPS and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) in Eldorado Park,
Johannesburg. The cigarettes included brands such as Remington Gold, Chelsea,
Royal Express and Premium.
In a statement SAPS said: “Six suspects were arrested after
the integrated team discovered the suspects in the process of loading boxes of
illicit cigarettes onto a number of trucks, which were allegedly going to be
dispatched to a destination yet to be confirmed.”
“Preliminary reports suggest that the crime scene at an
industrial site in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg, was being used as a
distribution point where alleged traders and in this case, the six arrested
suspects, would collect the illicit cargo for further distribution and sales.”
The possibility of more arrests have not be ruled out and
the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (Hawks) will take over the
case for further investigation.
Gauteng police commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias
Mawela welcomed the arrests and urged the investigators to get to the bottom of
this case and to deal decisively with organised crime.
South African police recently recovered cigarettes worth
over R2,4 million and arrested more than 20 suspects in connection with
smuggling of the commodity from Zimbabwe into the neighbouring country.
Limpopo police spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo
said the recoveries were made between June 8 and June 16 during ongoing
operations to curb smuggling along the border.
He said the suspects were charged for illegally dealing in
cigarettes and contravening sections of the Customs and Excise Act.
Meanwhile, a 42-year-old woman was also arrested by police
at a roadblock along the N1 road between Beitbridge and Musina after she was
found in possession of explosives.
Police stopped a grey Toyota Corolla with Limpopo
registration numbers traveling towards Musina. The vehicle was then searched
and found carrying three bags with 496 units of explosive blasting cartridges.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the explosives
belonged to the woman who was a passenger in the vehicle and had been smuggled
from Zimbabwe.
She was then arrested. Herald
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