Cape Town - Illicit and smuggled cigarettes valued at R43 million are being destroyed at the Beitbridge border post.
SA Revenue Service (Sars) deputy commissioner Johnstone Makhubu said 2 000 master cases, or 20 million cigarettes, would be destroyed over the coming days.
“The illicit and smuggled cigarettes were seized in multi-agency operations as well as dedicated and intelligence-driven operations as part of the Customs Division’s tobacco strategy, led by its National Rapid Response Team, often supported by the SANDF, SAPS and its Hawks unit, as well as the immigration division of the Department of Home Affairs,” Makhubu said.
Makhubu said that in a separate case at the Beitbridge border post in February, 1 211 master boxes of illicit cigarettes including the brands Remington Gold, Chelsea and Royal Express, with an estimated value of R26m, were seized.
Four people were arrested, and criminal cases were opened.
Four trucks, one bakkie and one tractor with a trailer, which were used to carry the illicit cigarettes, were detained with an estimated value of more than R3m.
“Illicit trade robs the government of much-needed revenue and destroys industries, exacerbating unemployment, poverty and inequality.
“The illicit products which are being imported or exported include second-hand motor vehicles, poultry, clothing, leather and textiles, essential infrastructure (copper and steel) and gold. An inter-agency working group has been set up to deal with all aspects of illicit trade,” said Sars.
Cape Times