3 arrested for possession of over 17 000 packets of illicit cigarettes

Three supermarkets in eMalahleni were searched after police were tipped off about illicit cigarettes

Police have arrested three foreign nationals for allegedly selling illicit cigarettes in eMalahleni.

Acting on information provided by a whistle-blower, members of the police attached to Operation Vala Umgodi apprehended two Bangladeshi nationals and one Pakistani national, aged between 30 and 34, at three different supermarkets in the central business district on Tuesday, May 7.

According to a police report, upon entering the supermarkets, police found illicit cigarettes displayed on the shelves.

A thorough investigation led to the seizure of approximately 17 229 packets of 20 various brands of illicit cigarettes, estimated at R367 868.

Colonel Donald Mdhluli, a provincial police spokesperson, said, “Further probe will be conducted on how the cigarettes landed on these premises, and the police cannot rule out the possibility that these items could have been somehow smuggled into South Africa.”

“Police investigators will also be working in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs to determine the status of these foreign nationals in the country,” Mdhluli added.

Local news | A suspect in a fatal taxi driver stabbing two years back was arrested over the weekend
Read more here: https://t.co/hHxqFJkCXo #Witbanknews #SAPS #emalahleni #murder

— WitbankNews (@WitbankN) May 7, 2024