JOHANNESBURG - Police arrested three men for allegedly smuggling contraband cigarettes into the country at Makuya, in Limpopo, on Thursday, they said.

Lt-Col Mohale Ramatseba said two Zimbabweans and a South African were arrested at 2am.

They had smuggled in two trucks from Zimbabwe containing contraband cigarettes with an estimated street value of R2 million, he said.

Some of the cigarettes were hidden in small steel boxes which had been welded to the undercarriage of the trucks.

Patrolling police tried to stop the vehicles at 2am.

However, the trucks sped off and were finally forced to stop after a 15 kilometre chase.

Ramatseba said the men would appear in the Thohoyandou Magistrate's Court on Friday.