Cape Town - Two suspects are expected to appear in the Mokopane Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo on Monday for possession of illicit cigarettes.
The two suspects, aged 21 and 35, had a rough start to the new month. They were arrested on Saturday, April 1 by members of the Limpopo Flying Squad in Mokopane along Thabo Mbeki Drive.
The duo also faces a charge of resisting arrest.
According to provincial police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, officers were conducting routine patrols when they received information that illegal cigarettes were being transported from Polokwane along the R101 in a silver Mercedes-Benz.
“The team members received information about a silver Mercedes-Benz transporting illicit cigarettes driving from Polokwane along R101 road.
“The vehicle fitting the description was seen in Mokopane along Thabo Mbeki Drive.
“It is alleged that the police attempted to stop the said vehicle and after it neglected to stop a vehicle pursuit resulted. It appears that in the process the driver of the Mercedes-Benz vehicle lost control and hit the wall and stopped,” Ledwaba said.
The suspects were cornered in the badly damaged vehicle and were arrested on the spot.
The crash saw packets of cigarettes strewn alongside the road.
The street value of the illicit cigarettes is yet to be determined.
Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe welcomed the arrest of the suspects and commended the officers for their swift response.
In February, police seized truckloads of illicit cigarettes worth more than R30 million in Limpopo.
The discovery was made on a farm situated between Musina and the Beitbridge Port of Entry.
IOL