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Thupeyo Muleya, [email protected]

SOUTH African law enforcement on Tuesday thwarted a brazen attempt to smuggle cigarettes valued at an astonishing R500 000 from Zimbabwe.

The police intercepted the vehicle which had crossed into the neighbouring country via an undesignated crossing point along the Limpopo River.

The incident is part of a troubling surge in cigarette smuggling, prompting authorities to wage an intensified battle against these illicit operations.

Lieutenant Colonel Malasela Ledwaba, spokesperson for the Limpopo police, confirmed this latest bust.

“The recent efforts of members of the Vhembe District Cross Border and Trio Task Teams in Limpopo have yielded success in combating the smuggling of illicit cigarettes. This follows the arrest of a 40-year-old foreign national suspect on Tuesday who was found in possession of illicit cigarettes worth R497 000,” he said.

Lt Col Ledwaba said their officers, who were patrolling along the R525 road from Tshipise to N1 Baobab Tollgate, apprehended the suspect who was driving a white Ford Ranger after a high-speed chase.

Inside the white Ford Ranger, law enforcement discovered a staggering 760 cartons of cigarettes, hidden with meticulous care.

This substantial haul, valued at nearly half-a-million rand, was promptly seized, and the vehicle impounded. The suspect now faces charges of possession of illicit cigarettes and will appear a Musina magistrate. Cigarette smuggling from Zimbabwe into South Africa via illegal crossing points along the Limpopo River has become alarmingly common.

The Polokwane High Court recently granted a preservation order to South Africa’s specialised crime police, the Hawks, to retain property worth R4 million seized from 11 individuals involved in cigarette smuggling from Zimbabwe.

The Limpopo Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation’s Assets Forfeiture Unit also secured a preservation order worth R379 745 against illicit cigarette smugglers.

This operation follows the interception of five vehicles in the Makhado area, transporting various brands of smuggled cigarettes from Zimbabwe to Johannesburg.

Shockingly, an estimated 30 percent of cigarettes in South Africa originate in Zimbabwe, including popular brands like Pacific, Remington Gold, Mega, Dullahs, Branson, and Servilles.

The economics of this illegal trade are staggering. Local producers sell a box of cigarettes for US$120, but the syndicates acquire them for between US$250 and US$300 before smuggling them into South Africa, where prices skyrocket to well above R15 000 per box.

Those involved in transporting these illegal goods across borders are compensated between R100 and R300 per box, often under the cover of darkness.

The battle against this shadowy trade continues, with law enforcement agencies determined to curb this lucrative, illicit enterprise. —@tupeyo