The 40-year-old Indian national is expected to appear in the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court today after his arrest by the Middelburg Crime Prevention Unit for the alleged possession of illicit cigarettes in his shop.

Illicit cigarettes with an estimated value of R3.4m were recovered during the bust.

The Hawks Middelburg-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit and the South African Revenue Service Customs were brought on board for further investigations.

The Department of Home Affairs will also be brought on board to investigate the status of the suspect in South Africa.

The illicit cigarettes were seized and booked as evidence.

The Mpumalanga Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Nico Gerber, issued a strong warning to community members, urging them to avoid smoking illicit cigarettes, as they are a health hazard, “These cigarettes contain harmful substances, including high levels of tar, nicotine, and other toxic chemicals. If such cigarettes are smuggled into the country, they negatively impact the economy, as smugglers evade taxes and regulations,” warned Gerber.

• Members of the Marble Hall police also confiscated illicit cigarettes amounting to R3m on February 12.

89 boxes of Remington Gold cigarettes were found in a truck passing through Marble Hall, after the driver and passenger fled on foot.

The two suspects are still at large.