A 25-year-old Zimbabwean man has been fined R40 000 by a Polokwane Magistrate Court for smuggling into South Africa 330 cartons of Remington Gold cigarettes worth R87 000.
Walter Madhongi was arrested by the neighbouring country’s
specialised crime unit, the Hawks in October this year.
South African police are cracking down on crime around
Limpopo province in an operation code name ‘Zizo Jika Izinto’ (Things will
change). Over 5 000 people have been arrested across the province since
November 16 for crimes including border jumping, smuggling, drug peddling,
armed robberies, and murder among others.
Madhongi was convicted on his own plea of guilty to charges
of unlawfully dealing in cigarettes on Friday afternoon.
Hawks spokesperson for Limpopo, Captain Matimba Maluleke
said the man has been in remand prison since his arrest on October 20 after
failing to secure bail on several occasions.
“On October 20, the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime
Investigation members received a tip-off about people who were selling illicit
cigarettes at Polokwane Lodge,” he said.
He said the team immediately proceeded to the lodge where
they found 330 cartoons of Remington Gold cigarettes hidden in one of the
rooms. “The cigarettes to the value of R87 000 were seized and Madhongi was
arrested.
He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to pay a fine of R40
000 or alternatively three years imprisonment. 18 months of the sentence were
suspended on condition he pays a defects fine of R5 000,” said Captain
Maluleke.
South Africa is the biggest destination for cigarettes
smuggled from Zimbabwe. They are smuggled through the Beitbridge border post or
illegal crossing points along the Limpopo River.
Chronicle is reliably informed that almost 30 percent of
the cigarettes on the South African market is from Zimbabwe, some of them
smuggled into that country.
It is also difficult for Zimbabweans to export cigarettes
to South Africa because of the high excise duty rates in that country on
tobacco or cigarettes.
Most of the smuggled brands from Zimbabwe to the
neighbouring country include Pacific, Remington gold, Kingsgate, Madison, Mega,
Dullahs, Branson, and Servilles.
Chronicle
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