The foreign nationals, Farai Dangani (31) and Andrea Muchari (33) pleaded guilty to six counts of contravention of the Customs and Excise Act and one count of contravention of the Immigration Act each. The court heard that 11 Zimbabwean men were arrested on February 9 during an intelligence-driven operation conducted by the Provincial Organised Crime Investigation Unit along Beja road at Makhado in Vhembe District.

The suspects were spotted driving in five motor vehicles loaded with illicit cigarettes and were also found in the country illegally. The case was assigned to detective sergeant Makgorometje Makgahlela for investigations and he successfully opposed bail against all the suspects. The remaining nine suspects were remanded in custody and are scheduled to appear before the Commercial Court in Giyani in October 2023 for their trial proceedings.

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Dangani and Muchari were sentenced to nine years and six months with an option to pay a fine of R185 000 each and the terms will run concurrently. They were both declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The five motor vehicles that included three sedans and two SUVs used in the commission of the crime were forfeited to the state, including confiscated illicit cigarettes, with an estimated street value of R500 000.

The provincial commissioner of the police in Limpopo, Lt Gnl Thembi Hadebe welcomed the convictions with eighteen years imprisonment for the two men.