Woman nabbed smuggling R500k cigarettes

SOUTH AFRICAN police in Thohoyandou on Tuesday arrested a 34-year-old Zimbabwean woman for allegedly smuggling cigarettes worth half a million rand into that country.

Police spokesperson for Vhembe District, Major Mashudu Malelo said the woman was arrested while transporting the contraband to Johannesburg in a truck.

“We arrested a Zimbabwean woman following the interception of her truck, which was carrying 500 boxes of smuggled cigarettes. We suspect the cigarettes were smuggled into the country from Zimbabwe.

“The woman could be linked to a well-organised syndicate involving others, but, we are still investigating,” he said.

Maj Malelo said the truck and the cigarettes were impounded and the suspect would appear in court soon.

Of late there has been an increase in the number of cigarette smuggling cases involving Zimbabweans being arrested in the neighbouring country.

Recently two Zimbabweans were also intercepted along the NI highway while transporting 1 000 cigarettes worth R1 million to Johannesburg using two Gauteng registered vehicles.

Some of the cigarettes are smuggled out of the country through undesignated entry points along the crocodile infested Limpopo River while others find their way into South Africa through Beitbridge Border Post despite the presence of Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) scanners.

The machines are able to detect concealed goods hidden in sealed containers.