A multi-disciplinary operation on Monday, 08 December 2025, resulted in the seizure of illicit cigarettes with an estimated street value of R340,000. The contraband was discovered in a truck intercepted in the Waterberg District.
The operation was conducted jointly by the Waterberg District Flying Squad, the Modimolle K9 Dog Unit, and two private security companies. It was initiated after the Flying Squad, while conducting operational duties, received intelligence about a white truck allegedly transporting illicit cigarettes along the R101 public road towards Modimolle.
The joint team located and stopped the truck on Thabo Mbeki Drive. A 33-year-old male foreign national, who was driving, complied with a police request to search the vehicle.
During the search, officers discovered empty crates and Remington Gold cigarettes concealed within a hidden compartment. The driver could not provide a satisfactory account of the goods’ origin.
Police confiscated 68 boxes of the suspected illicit cigarettes. The estimated street value of the seizure is R340,000.
The suspect was arrested on the spot for possession of suspected illicit cigarettes. He is expected to appear in the Modimolle Magistrate’s Court in the near future.