Zimbabwean cigarette smuggler busted in SA

South African authorities have intercepted a 20-year-old migrant transporting smuggled cigarettes worth an estimated R160,000. The arrest was confirmed by Limpopo police spokesperson, Colonel Malasela Ledwaba. The provincial anti-smuggling team apprehended the man, whose nationality is yet to be disclosed, following a high-speed chase on Tuesday morning in the Zebediela policing area of Capricorn District.

The chase began when officers signaled for the driver of a Ford Ranger pick-up truck, reportedly traveling from Musina with illicit cigarettes, to pull over. Instead, the driver accelerated, leading to a dangerous pursuit over several kilometers. The pursuit ended when the driver lost control at the Zebediela and Mokopane junction and attempted to flee on foot but was swiftly apprehended. Upon inspection, police discovered 26 boxes of smuggled cigarettes in the vehicle. The suspect will soon appear before the Mokopane Magistrate's Court.

Smuggling cigarettes from Zimbabwe into South Africa through illegal crossing points along the Limpopo River is a common issue. It is estimated that 30 percent of the cigarettes in South Africa originate from Zimbabwe. A box of cigarettes can be purchased for US$120 from local producers and sold for about US$250 to smuggling syndicates, who then sell them in South Africa for anything above R15,000.