Trusting their instincts on Wednesday, EMPD officers made a huge bust involving illegal cigarettes.
The confiscated cigarettes are worth about R850 000.
Members of the EMPD Loss Control Unit, working in conjunction with members of the EMPD Germiston Crime Prevention Task Team and K9 Unit, realised that two drivers of vehicles travelling at a snail’s pace on the N17 highway eastbound, at 6.30am, were in a telephonic conversation and possibly something was amiss.
Their instincts proved accurate.
Officers closed in on the vehicles and managed to stop one of them; the driver of the other vehicle sped off and escaped.
The Mercedes Benz panel van which the metro police managed to stop was found to be carrying a cargo of illicit cigarettes worth approximately R850 000.
One suspect was arrested and 134 master cases of the illicit Sevilles cigarettes were seized.
The driver of the panel van had no driver’s licence or any form of identification with him.
He could also not provide any documentation for the illegal cargo he was carrying.
“In an attempt to find out where the illegal cargo came from, and its destination, the driver proved to be very uncooperative as he parted with unhelpful and scant information,” said Wilfred Kgasago, spokesman for the EMPD.
“The 37-year-old driver of the panel van was charged at the Germiston Police Station, with possession of illicit cigarettes.
“He is expected to appear in the Germiston Magistrates Court soon.”
Other articles you may be interested in:
Morning hijacking and robbery spree halted by EMPD
EMPD, SAPS nail hijackers, recover vehicle and firearm
