Five members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), including a female soldier, together with two undocumented Zimbabwean nationals, are expected to appear before the Musina Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 18 September 2025. They face charges of corruption, possession of illicit cigarettes, unlawful discharge of a firearm, and defeating the ends of justice.
The suspects, aged between 26 and 42, were arrested on Tuesday, 16 September 2025, during a joint operation by the SAPS Limpopo Beitbridge Task Team and Military Intelligence.
Their arrests followed an incident earlier that morning at Artonvilla, along the first Malaladrift road near the Limpopo River, where they allegedly conspired to intercept and steal a consignment of illicit cigarettes being smuggled into South Africa. During the operation, shots were reportedly fired, forcing smugglers to abandon 24 boxes of illicit cigarettes. Six boxes were later found hidden inside a temporary military camp.
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, praised the swift and coordinated action of the law enforcement teams, warning that corruption involving members entrusted with national security will not be tolerated.
