Two men were arrested for tobacco smuggling

Published on Wed, 12 December 2007 6:12 pm

Police has confiscated 1298 cartons of tobacco valued at R169000 that ought to be traded SA. Offenders were arrested by police for tobacco smuggling and now they ought to go to Tonga magistrate’s court for lawbreaking.

The two, a 30-year-old man and his 25-year-old partner, were stopped by police along the Mapinyawuke Road, near Komatipoort. The two were traveling towards Tonga village in a brown bakkie.

Members of the police spotted a brown bakkie and pulled it off the road at about 9.30pm.

“Our members searched the vehicle and discovered that it was carrying 1298 cartons of illegal cigarettes that the suspects had just smuggled out of Mozambique,” said Captain Leonard Hlathi.

This is only a beginning. “We are not going to fold our arms and allow criminals to turn our country into a dumping place for illegal cigarettes.

“We shall bring anyone to book if they are found in possession of any illegal or stolen items,” warned Hlathi.

Hlathi added that ports of entry such as the Swaziland border gates of Mananga and Jeep’s Reef as well as the Mozambican border gate of Lebombo will be under constant inspection, for the reason that very often criminals steal vehicles in South Africa and illegally cross sold them in Swaziland or Mozambique.