Polokwane – A 31-year-old South African and a 28-year-old Zimbabwean are expected to appear before the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court, Limpopo, after they were arrested for dealing in illicit cigarettes and contravention of the Immigration Act.
The pair who were arrested during an anti-smuggling operation will appear in court on Wednesday, 27 August 2025.
Narrating details of the arrest, police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said: “On Tuesday morning, 26 August 2025, members of the Limpopo Tracking Team, Provincial Intervention Unit, and Tshimollo Security and Investigation acted on intelligence about a vehicle ferrying illicit goods from Beitbridge to Polokwane.
“The silver Toyota Corolla matching the description was spotted on the N1 North and, after a high-speed chase, was intercepted near the Mall of the North.
“A search uncovered 19 master cases and 47 cartons of Remington Gold illicit cigarettes with an estimated street value of R120 000.”
Colonel Ledwaba said the vehicle was seized and will be forfeited to the State under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 29 of 2004.
The Provincial Commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, lauded the law enforcement agencies for their coordination during the anti-smuggling operation, which was a “success”.
The South African Revenue Services estimates that the country loses about R30 billion in revenue every year due to the illicit trade in smuggled cigarettes and liquor.
