SOUTH African police have arrested two suspected Zimbabweans caught with R3 million worth of Remington Gold cigarettes they were smuggling into that country through the Beitbridge border post.
The cigarettes of Zimbabwean origin were stashed inside the
trailer of a bus and one suspect reportedly fled.
“The fight against the smuggling of illicit cigarettes
continues following the arrest of two foreign nationals at Beitbridge border
post on Friday morning, 09 July 2021 after they were stopped in their tracks,
allegedly smuggling a large consignment of illicit cigarettes into the
country,” Limpopo province police spokesman Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said
in a statement.
“The police received a tip-off about a bus with a trailer
carrying illicit cigarettes in the vicinity of Beitbridge.”
He said the bus was spotted and routinely directed to the
searching bay where police, together with customs officials, started searching the
trailer and found 239 master boxes of Remington Gold cigarettes and 35 cartoons
worth over R3 million.
“Two suspects were immediately arrested and the third one
managed to evade arrest,” Mojapelo said.
“The search for the escaped suspect is still continuing.” “The
suspects, aged 30 and 63, will appear in Musina magistrates’ court on Monday 12
July 2021 on a charge of possession of illicit cigarettes.”
It remains a mystery how the bus managed to go past all
security roadblocks towards the border in Zimbabwe where a special operation is
underway against smuggling and other illegal cross-border activities.
“One wonders how the bus passed scanning at the Zimbabwe
Revenue Authority (Zimra),” said one shipping clerk. “This is how we lose money
through illegal exports,”
Although the Zimbabwean government has pressed its foot
hard against smuggling of foodstuffs into the country, economists say its
efforts should be directed towards goods leaving the country.
“Our losses are not from things coming into the country
which are basically for consumption,” said a Zimra official on condition of
anonymity.
“Our losses are through under-declaration and smuggling of
exports. “It is high time the government takes this seriously, they know it.”
On one of his visits to Beitbridge, Finance and Economic
Development minister Mthuli Ncube said Zimra officers would be trained to
evaluate minerals.
Zimbabwe could be losing billions of dollars in export duty
loses through under-declaration of minerals.
Other losses are through rampant smuggling of gold and
other precious minerals done mostly by those who are well connected to top
officials. Standard
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