One foreign national was arrested for being in possession of suspected illicit cigarettes and contravention of the Customs and Excise Act, 1964 (Act No. 91 of 1964).

ILLICIT cigarettes worth R50 000 were seized and a foreign national arrested during a multidisciplinary operation conducted by the Economic Infrastructure Task Team (EITT) and the Metro Police in the inner city. Metro Police Spokesperson Colonel Boysie Zungu said the teams acted on information received from Provincial Crime Intelligence about an illegal cigarette and tobacco trader.

During the joint inspection, which included members from Metro Police, EITT, and Crime Intelligence, the team arrived on the scene and a search warrant was executed. Zungu said: “Two individuals of Ethiopian nationality were found inside the supermarket. The team found various brands of what is believed to be counterfeit cigarettes on display with no diamond stamp to confirm the legitimacy.” When the teams investigated the premises, numerous boxes of suspected counterfeit cigarettes were found selling at a significantly lower price of R16.50 for a box of 20, Zungu added. The owner, a 44-year-old Ethiopian national, could not provide purchase invoices for the stock, which led law enforcement to seize and arrest the suspect. The owner was charged with possession of illicit cigarettes.