Police arrest Eswatini national in R17.4 Million illicit cigarette smuggling operation
Illegal cigarettes were found by police, concealed in massive water tankers on the back of truck, in Delmas, Mpumalanga
Image: Saps
Another example of the booming trade and sly ways under which the illicit cigarette trade is rolled out in South Africa came to the fore when police arrested an Eswatini national driving a truck with concealed contraband worth R17.4 million.
Twelve 5,000-litre water tankers loaded on the truck were where the illegal items were stashed. Police had received a tip-off about the movement of the illegal goods and arrested the 43-year-old man when they stopped the vehicle in Delmas, Mpumalanga.
He is due to appear at the Delmas District Court on Monday on a charge of being in possession of illegal goods.
The breakthrough delivered another reminder of the tactics used by those linked to crime cartels to generate profits. A study conducted by UCT academics and released in September, titled: "Illicit cigarettes starve South Africa’s fiscus of billions", brings to light the huge impact the illegal cigarette trade is having on the country.
The study, authored by Professor Corné van Walbeek and Samantha Filby, argued that South Africa was once hailed as a leader in tobacco control.
However, from 1994 to 2009, sharp increases in excise taxes, measures such as advertising bans, and smoke-free legislation caused the smoking rate to be reduced.
A smoking ban enforced by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic served to worsen the cigarette trade in the country.
These developments gave wind to the illicit trade and have subsequently cost the country vast sums in lost tax revenue.
Mpumalanga's provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane, confirmed the arrest was made in Sundra around 10 pm.
Ndubane said police in Delmas worked with officers from the Sundra police station and several security companies, having received information about illicit cigarettes being moved in water tanks.
“Members spotted a truck with two trailers in Sundra and stopped it. The load consisted of twelve 5,000-litre water tanks,” Ndubane said.
During further investigation, police discovered that the tanks were filled to capacity with cartons of illicit cigarettes of various brands.
Officers recovered 25 pallets of illicit cigarettes with an estimated street value of R17.4 million. Acting Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi, praised the collaborative effort between police and private security companies.
DAILY NEWS