POLOKWANE – The Westenburg police confiscated illegal cigarettes in a room at a local resort about 25km south of the city after the resort’s management alerted them of suspected illegal activities on Monday, 21 July.
Ryan Shearer, general manager of the Protea Hotel Ranch Resort, said they did not tolerate any illegal activity on their premises and therefore reported the matter to the police when they realised something was wrong.
“We suspected that something was wrong and called the police. They came and confiscated illegal cigarettes from one of the rooms on our premises.
“We believe in exposing any form of illegal activities.
“The fact that it was cigarettes is irrelevant to us. The fact that they were illegal is what matters.
“This is a rule of thumb that we apply at all times; if we identify a guest or guests doing something that is illegal, we will report it to the police like we did in this instance,” Shearer said.
Capt Mohlaka Mashiane, Westenburg police spokesperson, said no one was arrested in connection with the illegal cigarettes that were found because, when the police entered the room there was no one inside.
He said after the police found about 379 cartons of Remington Gold cigarettes, a brand allegedly imported illegally from Zimbab-we, they performed a random search at four other lodges in the Westenburg policing area.
Mashiane said the estimated street value of the illegal cigarettes found at the Protea Hotel Ranch Resort was estimated at about R30 000.
“We can confirm that no one has been arrested yet. Police investigations continue. We request anyone with information that can help us find the owner of the cigarettes to please come forward and to contact the Westenburg police station at (015) 292 9410/15,” Mashiane said.
