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Hawks get forfeiture order on cigarette smuggling truck
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South Africa's elite crime-fighting unit, the Hawks, working in conjunction with the National Prosecuting Authority's Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU), has secured a court order to permanently forfeit a commercial truck and two trailers used in an attempt to smuggle Zimbabwean cigarettes across the Beitbridge border post.
The forfeiture follows the arrest of Lamek Maphiri in March this year, who was intercepted during a routine inspection at the Beitbridge Port of Entry while attempting to bring a massive consignment of Zimbabwean-made cigarettes into South Africa.
According to a statement issued by Hawks spokesperson for Limpopo province, Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa, the seized property included a Freightliner Argosy truck and two top trailers, valued at R858,750. The matter was handed over to the Hawks' Asset Forfeiture Investigation team, and after completing its probe, the case was referred to the AFU to secure the necessary legal orders.
On July 24, 2025, the Limpopo Division of the High Court in Polokwane granted the final forfeiture order, stripping the accused of all legal claims to the truck and its trailers.
"In another similar incident," added Mmuroa, "the AFI and AFU also secured a forfeiture order for a Volkswagen Crew bus seized during an illicit cigarette bust in Modimolle in May 2023. The vehicle, used to distribute contraband cigarettes, was valued at R162,600."
The vehicle's driver, Joel Maepa, was arrested for unlawfully possessing the cigarettes. After a similar investigation and legal process, the Limpopo High Court also ruled in favour of forfeiting the VW bus to the state.
The twin rulings are part of a broader crackdown on cross-border cigarette smuggling, an increasingly lucrative but illegal trade that has seen millions of rands in losses to South African tax authorities. The problem is largely attributed to Zimbabwean-made cigarettes, which are heavily restricted under South African customs laws.
Law enforcement sources and economic analysts suggest that at least one-third of cigarette brands sold in South Africa are smuggled from Zimbabwe, including popular illicit brands like Pacific, Remington Gold, Mega, Dullahs, Branson, and Servilles.
According to intelligence reports, a box of cigarettes purchased for around US$120 from Zimbabwean producers is resold for US$250 to US$300 to trafficking syndicates. These syndicates then smuggle the product into South Africa, where each box fetches upwards of R15,000 on the black market.
Smuggling operations are often conducted under the cover of darkness, either through official ports like Beitbridge or by crossing the Limpopo River illegally. Couriers hired to transport the contraband typically receive R100 to R300 per box, incentivizing a risky but profitable underground trade.
Authorities have pledged to intensify operations targeting cigarette smuggling rings, using asset forfeiture, arrests, and stricter border controls to dismantle the networks behind the illegal trade.
The forfeiture follows the arrest of Lamek Maphiri in March this year, who was intercepted during a routine inspection at the Beitbridge Port of Entry while attempting to bring a massive consignment of Zimbabwean-made cigarettes into South Africa.
According to a statement issued by Hawks spokesperson for Limpopo province, Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa, the seized property included a Freightliner Argosy truck and two top trailers, valued at R858,750. The matter was handed over to the Hawks' Asset Forfeiture Investigation team, and after completing its probe, the case was referred to the AFU to secure the necessary legal orders.
On July 24, 2025, the Limpopo Division of the High Court in Polokwane granted the final forfeiture order, stripping the accused of all legal claims to the truck and its trailers.
"In another similar incident," added Mmuroa, "the AFI and AFU also secured a forfeiture order for a Volkswagen Crew bus seized during an illicit cigarette bust in Modimolle in May 2023. The vehicle, used to distribute contraband cigarettes, was valued at R162,600."
The vehicle's driver, Joel Maepa, was arrested for unlawfully possessing the cigarettes. After a similar investigation and legal process, the Limpopo High Court also ruled in favour of forfeiting the VW bus to the state.
The twin rulings are part of a broader crackdown on cross-border cigarette smuggling, an increasingly lucrative but illegal trade that has seen millions of rands in losses to South African tax authorities. The problem is largely attributed to Zimbabwean-made cigarettes, which are heavily restricted under South African customs laws.
Law enforcement sources and economic analysts suggest that at least one-third of cigarette brands sold in South Africa are smuggled from Zimbabwe, including popular illicit brands like Pacific, Remington Gold, Mega, Dullahs, Branson, and Servilles.
According to intelligence reports, a box of cigarettes purchased for around US$120 from Zimbabwean producers is resold for US$250 to US$300 to trafficking syndicates. These syndicates then smuggle the product into South Africa, where each box fetches upwards of R15,000 on the black market.
Smuggling operations are often conducted under the cover of darkness, either through official ports like Beitbridge or by crossing the Limpopo River illegally. Couriers hired to transport the contraband typically receive R100 to R300 per box, incentivizing a risky but profitable underground trade.
Authorities have pledged to intensify operations targeting cigarette smuggling rings, using asset forfeiture, arrests, and stricter border controls to dismantle the networks behind the illegal trade.
Source - The Chronicle
