Counterfeit cigarettes seized
A Morningside man was the third person arrested in sting operations targetting counterfeit cigarette syndicates over the past week.
A LARGE consignment of counterfeit cigarettes were seized and a man was arrested after an operation in the Berea policng area by the KwaDukuza Task Team and Crime Intelligence on Thursday, 21 November.
According to Berea SAPS Communications Officer, Lieutenant PN Naidoo, the man in his thirties was arrested in Riley Road, Morningside after the Task Team and Crime Intelligence held observation at the home. He was the first of three who were arrested over the past week where large amounts of counterfeit cigarettes were seized.
On Friday morning, 22 November police received information about illicit cigarettes kept in a Malvern house. They found 92 boxes of illicit cigarettes with each box containing 50 cartons. “A 59-year-old man was arrested and charged for possession of illicit cigarettes. The recovered cigarettes do not have the prescribed health warning and do not comply with the Customs and Excise Act,” said provincial police spokesman Captain Thulani Zwane.
Members of the SAPS Railway Police were investigating the trade of illegal cigarettes in the Durban CBD on Monday, 25 November when they seized 224 cartons of illegal cigarettes with a street value of R50 000. A case of bribery was opened against the suspect after he attempted to bribe a police officer with an amount of R10 000.
