POLOKWANE – With the illegal tobacco trade becoming an ever-increasing problem, the police in the city and elsewhere in the province have their jobs cut out for them.
According to statistics provided by the Tobacco Industry of South Africa (Tisa), 30% of South Africa’s illicit tobacco trading takes place in Limpopo.
Illegal cigarettes are freely available for purchase by anyone in Polokwane.
A Ladanna shop owner who sells illegal cigarettes and spoke to Review on condition of anonymity said illegal cigarettes were easily available and his customers wanted the cheapest product possible.
They did not care whether the cigarettes they bought were legal or not.
“They care about the price and not where it comes from. And we make the money that we would have lost if we only sold the legal tobacco,” he explained.
According to Tisa chairperson, Francois van der Merwe, the trade in illegal cigarettes was a major contributor to illegal trading at border posts, with illegal cigarettes negatively affecting the economy in lieu of billions of rand being lost each year in revenue and taxes.
“This is money that could have been channeled to other much-needed services and infrastructures,” he said.
In March the Polokwane police confiscated illegal cigarettes worth thousands and in July national police commissioner, Riah Phiyega, told reporters that 1 442 police officials were dismissed over the past three years, and some of them had been involved in the smuggling or transportation of illegal cigarettes.
Polokwane police spokesperson, Capt Ntobeng Phala said the illegal trade in tobacco products was a huge business which was often linked to other crimes such as money laundering and drug dealing.
“Due to this illicit trade, criminals use the informal markets they have built to distribute other counterfeit goods and commit other crimes,” he explained.
He urged the residents to report any illegal selling of cigarettes to the nearest police station and he pleaded with the community not to support these illegal activities.
1 668 cartons of illegal cigarettes confiscated
