Police seize R1,2 million worth of shoes

The provincial tracking team confiscated a truck and arrested two foreign nationals on the N1 North for transporting suspected illicit goods on Tuesday.
Polokwane Police Head of Communication Ntobeng Phala said Police received a tipoff to which they responded swiftly and traced the truck outside Polokwane. “The truck was escorted by another vehicle driven by a Somali national. The truck driver is from Ethiopia. When Police opened the truck they found nearly 1 000 boxes thought to be illegal cigarettes. When they informed both suspects they are under arrest they offered the officer R13 000 bribe,” Phala said.
Upon investigation at the Polokwane Police Station it was found that the boxes contained counterfeit shoes sporting a well-known brand name. “There are 945 boxes with six pairs per box valued at R219 per pair calculating at more than R1,2 million. All the boxes will be opened to determine whether there is more than just shoes,” Phala said. He added that the investigation already revealed that the shoes might possibly be linked to an incident in Durban where three containers of shoes were stolen recently.
Both vehicles were confiscated. The origin and destination of the load will be determined as investigations proceed.

Story: RC Myburgh
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Featured photo: Polokwane Police Head of Communication Ntobeng Phala at some of the 945 boxes of shoes confiscated.