Hawks confiscate R1.5 million worth of illegal cigarettes and arrest a Bangladeshi asylum seeker
SMUGGLING
Boxes of illicit cigarettes worth an estimated R1.5 million were seized during a joint operation by the Hawks, Crime Intelligence, and SARS Customs officials in Nelspruit. A 45-year-old Bangladeshi national was arrested.
Image: Hawks
A 45-year-old Bangladeshi national was arrested and illegal cigarettes valued at an estimated R1.5 million were seized as a result of a coordinated effort by the SA Revenue Service's customs and excise, crime intelligence, and Hawks' Nelspruit-based serious commercial crime investigation unit.
The suspect, who is temporarily seeking asylum in South Africa, was taken into custody on Thursday in West Acres, Nelspruit, after police investigated a tip regarding illicit cigarette trading, according to Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi, the Hawks' provincial spokesperson in Mpumalanga.
"Master boxes containing different brands of illicit cigarettes were recovered in the Bangladeshi national's supermarket," said Nkosi.
"The foreign national could neither produce proof of purchase nor proof of tax duties. He was charged with contravention of the Customs and Excise Act of South Africa, possession, distribution, and selling illicit cigarettes."
The Bangladeshi national is expected to appear before the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Meanwhile, Mpumalanga provincial head of the Hawks, Major General Nico Gerber, has commended the operation, saying: “The country is losing revenue due to illicit products that are illegally smuggled and sold in the Republic of South Africa. We commend the teamwork that resulted in this major breakthrough.”
In September, IOL reported that five members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) were released on bail after they appeared before the Musina Magistrate's Court on charges related to illicit cigarette smuggling.
Their two co-accused, both undocumented Zimbabwean nationals, were found hiding at the military base where the smuggling operation took place.
Limpopo regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, said the five soldiers are Macdonald Tshabadira, 28; Waydon Peterson, 29; Khuliso Tshivhenga, 42; Khodani Abel Maphukhumela, 29; and Evah Mmaphuthi Modisa, 39.
Each was granted bail of R5,000.
Their two co-accused, Livhuwani Mutavhatsindi, 27, and Perfious Chauke, 27, were remanded in custody without bail. The Zimbabwean nationals also face charges under the Immigration Act.
Malabi-Dzhangi said the group faces charges of possession of illicit cigarettes, possession of ammunition, and defeating the ends of justice.
The arrests on September 16, followed an incident at the Artonvilla military base, where the SANDF members allegedly intercepted a group of smugglers transporting 24 master boxes of illicit Remington Gold cigarettes, valued at an estimated R300,000.
It is alleged that the soldiers only declared 18 of the boxes to SA Revenue Service Customs, while the remaining six boxes were later found hidden under their beds.
"Police were alerted to the discrepancy and, upon searching the premises, found six master boxes of Remington Gold cigarettes concealed under the SANDF members’ beds. Two civilians were also discovered hiding at the base. The accused were immediately arrested," said Malabi-Dzhangi.
On the other hand, the SANDF has confirmed that the operation was unauthorized and has reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on corruption, with disciplinary processes to run concurrently with the criminal proceedings.
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