News / Africa
Truck packed with cigarettes seized at Beitbridge border
02 Oct 2015 at 06:49hrs | Views
South African customs officials have been uncovering inventive ways that criminals use to smuggle illegal goods - the latest being a horse trailer at the border post with Zimbabwe. Two taxis were also bust along the Mozambique-Swaziland border in the past week.
This comes after recent seizures of contraband at OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg hidden in ironing boards‚ books‚ wooden objects and body bags.
The South African Revenue Service (Sars) said in a statement a vigilant official had discovered over R1 million worth of illicit cigarettes hidden in a trailer carrying a horse at Beitbridge border post on Monday. He was inspecting trucks parked at the border post at about 2am when he discovered the one truck carrying a horse in the trailer.
"The truck driver did not have a permit for the horse and was parked there overnight. However‚ the officer had a sixth sense about the truck and decided to do a thorough search‚" Sars said.
"He banged under the bottom of the trailer and became suspicious as the sound was unusual. He then climbed into the trailer and discovered carpets hiding planks. The planks were covering a hole, which contained several boxes of illicit cigarettes.
"He then checked the roof of the trailer on the outside and inside and he realised that the level of the roof on the inside was not the same as on the outside. The roof was then cut open and a false compartment was found‚ filled with more illicit cigarettes."
Altogether 105 master cartons of illicit cigarettes, with a street value of R1 093 071, were confiscated.
Illicit cigarettes were also discovered at the Lebombo border post near Mozambique on Tuesday‚ hidden in the under-carriage of a taxi.
During a random search of vehicles at the main import gate‚ Sars said its customs officials discovered 100 cartons (20 000 sticks) of cigarettes wrapped in bags and strapped to the bottom of the taxi. They also discovered 320 pairs of undeclared All Star sneakers hidden under the taxi. The driver and goods were handed over to the police.
A taxi was also stopped by two Customs Detector Dog Unit members after it had illegally passed through the border near the Oshoek border post from Swaziland on Friday. A search of the taxi found packets of compressed dagga under the backseat‚ as well as 58 small packets of heroin rolled up in socks.
Sars said the suspect tried to escape but was tracked down on a nearby farm and arrested. The dagga was valued at R1 218 while the heroin was valued at R2 320.
"These are significant seizures by Sars officials who implement daily inspections in an effort to foil smuggling of goods. Sars will continue to work with other law enforcement agencies to protect the country and its citizens by disrupting organised crime and reducing illicit trade activities‚" the revenue agency said.
This comes after recent seizures of contraband at OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg hidden in ironing boards‚ books‚ wooden objects and body bags.
The South African Revenue Service (Sars) said in a statement a vigilant official had discovered over R1 million worth of illicit cigarettes hidden in a trailer carrying a horse at Beitbridge border post on Monday. He was inspecting trucks parked at the border post at about 2am when he discovered the one truck carrying a horse in the trailer.
"The truck driver did not have a permit for the horse and was parked there overnight. However‚ the officer had a sixth sense about the truck and decided to do a thorough search‚" Sars said.
"He banged under the bottom of the trailer and became suspicious as the sound was unusual. He then climbed into the trailer and discovered carpets hiding planks. The planks were covering a hole, which contained several boxes of illicit cigarettes.
"He then checked the roof of the trailer on the outside and inside and he realised that the level of the roof on the inside was not the same as on the outside. The roof was then cut open and a false compartment was found‚ filled with more illicit cigarettes."
Altogether 105 master cartons of illicit cigarettes, with a street value of R1 093 071, were confiscated.
Illicit cigarettes were also discovered at the Lebombo border post near Mozambique on Tuesday‚ hidden in the under-carriage of a taxi.
During a random search of vehicles at the main import gate‚ Sars said its customs officials discovered 100 cartons (20 000 sticks) of cigarettes wrapped in bags and strapped to the bottom of the taxi. They also discovered 320 pairs of undeclared All Star sneakers hidden under the taxi. The driver and goods were handed over to the police.
A taxi was also stopped by two Customs Detector Dog Unit members after it had illegally passed through the border near the Oshoek border post from Swaziland on Friday. A search of the taxi found packets of compressed dagga under the backseat‚ as well as 58 small packets of heroin rolled up in socks.
Sars said the suspect tried to escape but was tracked down on a nearby farm and arrested. The dagga was valued at R1 218 while the heroin was valued at R2 320.
"These are significant seizures by Sars officials who implement daily inspections in an effort to foil smuggling of goods. Sars will continue to work with other law enforcement agencies to protect the country and its citizens by disrupting organised crime and reducing illicit trade activities‚" the revenue agency said.
Source - Agencies
