Limpopo police have arrested 11 illicit cigarette smugglers during the early morning hours of Thursday, 9 February, following a car chase along the Piesanghoek road.
Members of the Limpopo Tracking Team and Capricorn Highway Patrol received information that 10 vehicles travelling in a convoy between Musina and Louis Trichardt were smuggling illicit cigarettes from Zimbabwe to South Africa. The police caught up with the convoy along the Piesanghoek road after the smugglers took a detour to avoid police detection. The suspects then sped off at a high speed and a car chase ensued. Five vehicles were stopped by the police with the help of members of the Louis Trichardt Farm Watch. Unfortunately, the occupants of the other five vehicles managed to evade arrest by escaping.
The eleven suspects arrested were found to be undocumented Zimbabwean nationals who initially tried to engage in a fistfight with the police, but they were ultimately subdued and apprehended.
Upon further investigation, the five vehicles were found loaded with illicit cigarettes to the value of just over R426 000. The vehicles (two BMW's, a Ford Territory, Nissan Pathfinder and a Audi A4) were seized by the police, along with the cigarettes.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe commended the members for a well-coordinated operation that led to the arrests and also thanked the members of the Farm Watch for assisting the police in the fight against crime.
The eleven suspects, aged between 24 and 43, was scheduled to appear in the Louis Trichardt magistrate court this morning, 10 February, on charges of dealing in and being in possession of illicit cigarettes, contravention of Immigration Act, reckless and negligent driving, driving a motor vehicle without a driving license (against the drivers) and resisting arrest. In the meantime, the hunt for the other suspects is continuing. Anyone with information is urged to contact Warrant Officer Phaladi Makola on 082 749 2233 or phone the Crime Stop number 086 001 0111.