A joint intelligence driven operation between the SAPS and SARS lead to the recovery of illicit cigarettes.
- Six suspects are in police custody after they were caught in possession of illicit cigarettes.
- It’s believed the site where they were arrested had been used as a distribution node in recent months.
- According to provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Mathapelo Peters, the cigarettes were worth millions of rands.
Six suspects were arrested after they were caught loading boxes of illicit cigarettes worth millions of rands onto a number of trucks at an industrial site in Eldorado Park, Gauteng police said on Tuesday.
The suspects were arrested on Monday following a joint intelligence driven operation between the South African Police Service and South African Revenue Services, provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said.
“Preliminary reports suggest that the crime scene at an industrial site in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg, has been used as a distribution nodal point where alleged traders, in this case the six arrested suspects, would collect the illicit cargo for further distribution and sale.
“The possibility of more arrests cannot be ruled out,” she said.
#sapsGP Today joint intelligence driven operation between the SAPS and SARS leads to the recovery of illicit cigarettes worth multi-millions of rands, and the arrest of 6 suspects in Eldorado Park. The possibility of more arrests cannot be ruled out. TMhttps://t.co/Q9q8gshURH pic.twitter.com/Yg45kP9gaK
— SA Police Service ???? (@SAPoliceService) August 17, 2020
The case would be handed over to the Hawks for further investigation.
The provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela welcomed the bust and arrests.
ALSO READ | Cigarettes flying off the shelves as tobacco sales ban goes up in smoke
He also urged the investigators to get to the “bottom of this case in dealing decisively with organised crimes”, Peters said.
The arrests were made just hours before the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products was unbanned by government under Level 2 of the risk adjusted lockdown strategy.
The sale of tobacco products was prohibited from 27 March until 17 August.
The sales ban saw a growth in the demand for cigarettes underground, with illicit brands flooding the black market.
News24 recently reported that between 1 May and 6 August police seized cigarettes worth at least R15.6 million.
These were seized from suspected criminals who were allegedly distributing and selling the products, as well as from civilians caught in possession of cigarettes.
Police told News24 over 11 000 people had been charged with either buying, selling or transporting tobacco products between May and the first week of August.
Did you know you can comment on this article? Subscribe to News24 and add your voice to the conversation.
