A 39-year-old suspect was arrested by the Police in Makhado on Friday, 20 December 2019 at about 11:20, for the alleged possession of illicit cigarettes with an estimated value of over R900 000.
The arrest comes after members of Makhado Visible Policing received a tip-off about a suspicious black Toyota Corolla, loading cigarettes at a storage facility in the Makhado CBD. An obsevation operation was immediately conducted, supported by the Rural Safety Stakeholders.
The said vehicle was then traced and stopped. During the search, boxes containing illicit cigarettes were found hidden inside the boot of the vehicle. The suspect was arrested on the spot. Police investigations continued at the storage facility and about 3712 cartoons of illicit cigarettes were then discovered.
The total value of the seized illicit cigarettes is approximately R935 572.48.
The suspect will soon appear in the Louis Trichardt Magistrate’s Court , for possession of illicit cigarettes.
Illicit cigarettes found hidden inside the boot of a vehicle leads to major find and arrest. https://t.co/JPuub3wL56 #ArriveAlive #Crime @SAPoliceService
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) December 21, 2019
