Two Ethiopian nationals, aged 27 and 47, were arrested after police found an undisclosed amount of cash, two vehicles loaded with illicit goods, and a third vehicle with EMS markings.

Mpumalanga News reports police made the bust during an operation at a building in Rocky Drift in the Waterval Boven district, yesterday morning.

Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli says: “The ambulance was found locked inside a garage, and one of the additional vehicles was fitted with false registration number plates. Illicit cigarettes, some clothing items, a large sum of cash, and some other items, including bleaching cream, were also found.”

He adds the arrest followed a three-month investigation by Pienaar police.

“All the recovered items, including the vehicles, were confiscated for further investigation. The docket will be handed to the Mpumalanga Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation [Hawks] for further investigation,” Mdhluli says.