MBOMBELA – The police flying squad unit nabbed a Mozambican-registered maize-meal truck which was smuggling counterfeit shoes with an estimated value of more than R1 million.
The arrest occurred this morning at 04:00 when members of the unit stopped the truck on the N4 near Croc Valley.
Police spokesman, Capt Dawie Pretorius said the police noticed that the driver seemed nervous. “He admitted to them that he had a few bags of counterfeit shoes.”
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The truck was escorted to Nelspruit Police Station.
“When the truck stopped outside the station, a Golf GTi also with a Mozambican registration, which must have been following the truck, stopped. The truck driver jumped into the getaway vehicle,” said Pretorius.
Unit commander, Capt Piet Smit and Divergent Ops reaction officer, Mr Andries Burger gave chase. “Smit cornered the Golf from the front and I from behind so we boxed them in,” said Burger.
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Pretorius said the male driver, two female passengers in the Golf, and the truck driver were arrested.
An undisclosed amount of money was also seized from the convoy vehicle.
Pretorius said all four suspects are believed to be Mozambican citizens will appear in court tomorrow on various charges of possession of illegal goods.
