Police in Limpopo arrested two South Africa National Defence Force (SANDF) members and a civilian last week after they were allegedly caught transporting illegal cigarettes in an army vehicle.
The civilian was believed to be an undocumented foreign national aged 30, police said in a statement, adding that he was disguised as a soldier.
The SANDF members were aged 27 and 38.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said police at Beitbridge received information about an army vehicle loaded with illicit cigarettes which were to be delivered to an unidentified buyer around Musina.
They then reacted by staging a stop and search operation next to the Baobab Truck Park along the N1 road north of Musina, Mojapelo said.
#sapsLIM Two SANDF members together with an undocumented person (30) will appear in Musina magistrate court on Monday, 21 June 2021, after they were arrested yesterday, 18 June 2021 for allegedly transporting illicit cigarettes at Beitbridge. NPhttps://t.co/c3IWbXzKqq pic.twitter.com/oowxmIChym
— SA Police Service ?? (@SAPoliceService) June 19, 2021
“The army vehicle fitting the description given approached, and the members pulled it over. Two uniformed soldiers and a civilian wearing [an] army jacket disembarked from the vehicle,” he said.
When police searched the vehicle, 12 boxes of illicit cigarettes to the value of R160 000 were found packed in the back of the said vehicle.
“The civilian was immediately arrested but the armed soldiers reportedly became confrontational and refused to be arrested. The police then confiscated the said vehicle,” Mojapelo said.
The soldiers were later brought to the police station by their Commander and were then detained.
“They will be charged with possession of illicit cigarettes, defeating the ends of Justice and resisting arrest. The other suspect will be charged with impersonating SANDF members and contravening the Immigration Act,” said Mojapelo.
PICTURE: Twitter/@SAPoliceService
