Limpopo police intercept a vehicle on R71, near Dalmada, carrying 15 master cases of illicit cigarettes worth R90 000. Photos: Limpopo police
POLOKWANE – The provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has praised the Limpopo Tracking Team for their vigilance after they intercepted a vehicle smuggling illicit cigarettes into the province.
The team received intelligence yesterday (September 1) about a vehicle transporting contraband from Beitbridge into Limpopo.
Members monitored the N1 North before spotting the vehicle, a Hyundai ix35, matching the description provided.
The Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the driver sped off when officers attempted to stop the vehicle.
Police intercepted a Hyundai ix35 on the R71 near Dalmada loaded with illicit cigarettes. Photo: Limpopo police
“A chase ensued and the vehicle was eventually pulled over on the R71 near Dalmada, outside Polokwane. The SUV was loaded with 15 master cases of Remington Gold illicit cigarettes, with an estimated street value of R90 000,” his statement read.
Limpopo Tracking Team members seized illicit Remington Gold cigarettes during the bust outside Polokwane. Photo: Limpopo police
The 27-year-old South African driver was arrested on the spot and faces charges of dealing in illicit cigarettes as well as reckless and negligent driving.
A South African driver (27) was arrested after police chased down a vehicle smuggling Remington Gold cigarettes outside Polokwane. Photo: Limpopo police
Ledwaba said the vehicle was seized and will be forfeited to the State under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
Hadebe applauded the operational success, saying the outcome reflected the team’s “resilience in tackling organised crime both within and beyond provincial borders.”
Raeesa Sempe is a Caxton Award-winning Digital Editor with nine years’ experience in the industry. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand and started her journey as a community journalist for the Polokwane Review in 2015. She then became the online journalist for the Review in 2016 where she excelled in solidifying the Review’s digital footprint through Facebook lives, content creation and marketing campaigns. Raeesa then moved on to become the News Editor of the Bonus Review in 2019 and scooped up the Editorial Employee of the Year award in the same year. She is the current Digital Editor of the Polokwane Review-Observer, a position she takes pride in. Raeesa is married with one child and enjoys spending time with friends, listening to music and baking – when she has the time. “I still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate short-term weapon." – Tom Stoppard
