STELLALANDER-VRYBURG: Continuous and joint efforts to address illicit economic activities gained success on Tuesday, 25 June, when members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and police confiscated illicit cigarettes with an estimated street value of R8 million.
Reports suggest that police responded on Tuesday, 25 June, to a call by members of the SANDF who were patrolling along the Botswana / South Africa borderline, near Makgobistad. That was after they spotted a suspicious truck, which apparently stopped due to a deflated tyre. It is alleged on investigation, the SANDF members approached the truck and a male got out of the truck, jumped the fence into Botswana and fled on foot. Upon searching the truck, illicit cigarettes were found and confiscated. Investigations into the matter are underway by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI). This is the first bust of illicit cigarettes within three days. In the second incident, police confiscated illicit cigarettes with an estimated street value of R1.5 million in Zeerust on Thursday, 27 June 2024.
