BEITBRIDGE MARCH 21 (Newsday Live)- A 44-year-old man believed to be a Zimbabwean was on Thursday arrested on the South African side of the Beitbridge Border Post for allegedly smuggling R2 million worth of cigarettes.
The contraband was concealed behind empty pallets in the interlinked trailer of the haulage truck he was driving from Zimbabwe.
"Police in Limpopo have arrested a 44-year-old foreign national male at the Beitbridge Port of Entry on Thursday, 20 March 2025 at approximately 03:15 for attempting to smuggle illicit cigarettes with customs value of R2,139,000," South African Police Service (Saps)
Limpopo Province spokesman Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said in a statement.
Ledwaba said during routine profiling and searching of trucks at the South Gate entering the Republic of SA , police stopped a Freightliner truck with Gauteng registration numbers, whose driver presented a manifest indicating that the truck was empty.
A thorough search revealed a load of boxes of cigarettes placed in front of the pallets.
The vehicle was subsequently taken to the commercial ramp where it was opened, revealing it was loaded with 460 boxes each with 100 cartons of Zimbabwean-made Remington Gold cigarettes.
"Following the discovery, the suspect was detained at SAPS Musina and charged with smuggling of illicit cigarettes. He is scheduled to appear before the Musina Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 24 March 2025," said Ledwaba.
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Limpopo Saps provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe commended his team for the diligent efforts and reiterated the commitment of the South African Police Service to clamp down on cross-border criminal activities.
Saps have this year intercepted large quantities of cigarettes and other goods smuggled through Beitbridge.
