R9 million illegal cigarettes confiscated

Rustenburg – The Rustenburg Cluster Trio Task team acted on information on 4 April and recovered a twenty-two-wheel truck – loaded to full capacity with illicit cigarettes.

As the police arrived at the guest house in Boshoek, three suspects jumped over the back wall and disappeared into the veld. A Toyota Quantum panel van, allegedly belonging to a local shop owner, was found next to the truck.

According to police spokesperson sergeant Ofentse Mokgadi, the police found 995 boxes of illegal cigarettes with the street value of more than R9 million. 

During the preliminary investigation it was discovered that the truck crossed the South African border from Botswana earlier that day, after two passports were discovered. The Crime Combating Unit and the Hawks were called in to assist.