R7,8 million worth of illegal cigarettes confiscated
Excellent investigation led to the arrest
One of the biggest breakthroughs yet in the illegal cigarette trade was made yesterday when the Hawks in the North West province, in collaboration with officers from the South African Revenue Service and Matla Private Investigators seized 500 boxes with 50 cardboard boxes of illegal cigarettes each in them.
The cigarettes have a total estimated value of R7,8 million.
The boxes were hidden in a gas tanker travelling on the R500 between Parys and Fochville.
A Zimbabwean citizen has been arrested, but leads are being followed up on more trucks for possible arrests. The matter is now being investigated by the Hawks.
The breakthrough followed excellent work by Matla Private Investigators.
The man who was arrested will appear before the magistrate’s court in Potchefstroom on Friday.
