LIMPOPO – Two foreign nationals, aged 25 and 31-years-old, will appear before the Northam Magistrate’s Court soon on possession of illicit cigarette charges.

The duo were arrested at the Northam-Brits t-junction on Monday after the police followed up on a tip off about a white truck with GP regristration plates suspected of smuggling cigarettes from Zimbabwe to Gauteng via Northam.

Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba says a joint operation was activated that included various disciplines from Northam SAPS, Koedoeskop Rural Safety and private security.

“The truck was tactically stopped and searched and a fake compartment was discovered in the trailer. The false panel was removed and 170 boxes of illicit Remington Gold cigarettes with an estimated street value of R1.1m was found,” Ledwaba said.

He added that the cigarettes, the truck and its trailer were confiscated.

The provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe praised the members and other law enforcement agencies for responding appropriately to information resulting in the arrest of the two suspects.

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