Free State police have arrested a 57-year-old foreign national man for possession of suspected illicit cigarettes valued at an estimated R6.2 million during an intelligence-driven operation in Welkom.
The man was arrested on Tuesday, August 18, by members of the Welkom K9 Unit.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Palesa Thabana said police received information about a consignment of suspected illicit cigarettes being transported to a house in Welkom.
“Information was operationalised and led police to a house in Jim Fouché Park, Welkom,” Thabana said.
Police gained entry to the premises and discovered a large quantity of boxes containing suspected illicit cigarettes.
“Preliminary investigations were conducted and the cigarettes were confirmed to be counterfeit,” Thabana said.
Police seized the cigarettes, which are estimated to be worth R6.2 million.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Welkom Magistrate’s Court soon.
The seizure comes about a month after Free State police confiscated illicit cigarettes worth an estimated R3.6 million and arrested three men during an intelligence-driven operation in Boshof.
Cigarettes hidden under bed
The operation was conducted by members of the Bloemfontein K9 Unit and Provincial Crime Intelligence after police received information about the distribution of illegal goods.
Thabana said the information was operationalised on Friday, leading police to suspected illicit cigarette dealers in the Boshof area.
“The team confiscated a substantial quantity of illicit cigarettes in the Boshof Central Business District (CBD),” Thabana said.
Police first searched a supermarket in the CBD, where boxes of suspected counterfeit cigarettes were allegedly found hidden underneath a bed.
The team then proceeded to a second address in Voortrekker Street, where suspects allegedly resisted before police gained entry to a warehouse.
More boxes of suspected illicit cigarettes were found inside the warehouse.
Three men, aged 22, 44 and 56, were arrested for possession of counterfeit cigarettes. They also face charges under the Immigration Act.
Thabana said police confiscated 339 boxes of cigarettes and more than 15,000 loose cigarette packets during the operation.
simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za
IOL News
