On Tuesday, February 17 two police officials discovered the illegal cigarettes as they searched through a store in Diedericks Street in the Central Business District (CBD).
The owner of the store was arrested and his counterfeit goods confiscated.
Illegal cigarettes remain a problem, not just in eMalahleni but throughout the country. More than one in five cigarettes smoked in South Africa are illegal products, which equates to over 20% of the total market.
It is estimated that some 15 million cigarettes are illegally sold in the country every day. The annual loss of revenue to the government is more than R4 billion in excise and VAT – money that can be used to boost much needed public service and infrastructure. 52% of the price of cigarettes is made up of excise.
Consumers need to be suspicious of a pack of 20 cigarettes if it is being sold below R16 to R50.
To see more facts and learn how to spot illegal cigarettes click here.
