Metro Police in the western Cape bust a driver transporting nearly R1 million worht of counterfeit cigarettes.
Photo: Supplied
Metro Police in the western Cape bust a driver transporting nearly R1 million worht of counterfeit cigarettes.
Photo: Supplied
Speaking after the National Command Council (NCC) meeting on Thursday 16 April, Police Minister Bheki Cele replied with an unequivocal “no” when asked if the cigarette prohibition would be lifted during the extended lockdown.
That didn’t stop a driver from doing his utmost to provide smokers with almost R1 million worth of counterfeit cigarettes though.
Holy smokes
Metro Police spokesperson Ruth Solomons said that a driver was arrested and charged with contravening the Disaster Management Act, as well as the possession of counterfeit cigarettes.
He was stopped during patrols in Ravensmead, Western Cape, and was contrite in his admission that he was carrying the contraband.
The total street value of the stash was R955 500, with 70 boxes of cigarettes found in the back of the 35-year-old driver’s van.
“Metro Police officers confiscated counterfeit cigarettes valued at nearly a million rand yesterday afternoon,” said Solomons.
“Officers were conducting lockdown patrols in the Ravensmead area, just before 4pm, when they noticed a light delivery vehicle with an essential services sticker, which they thought odd.”
“They stopped the vehicle and the driver indicated he was transporting cigarettes.”
He was detained at Ravenmead South African Police Service (SAPS) for further investigation.
‘Cigarette prohibition’ could lead to spike in illegal trade
It’s safe to say that there is likely to be no relief for jonesing for a smoke, but the ban on retailers selling legitimate tobacco products has now sparked an inevitable flurry of illicit trading.
One of the hallmarks of the prohibition era in the United States (US) was the rise of underworld organisations who took to bootlegging and trafficking in order to supply a thirsty market at a lucrative cost. Government, due to the deregulated nature of the operations, didn’t see a cent in taxes from the trade.
British American Tobacco (BAT) released a statement earlier in April in which they warned of similar outcomes during this lockdown period,
“It will unintentionally force 11 million smokers to go outside of their neighbourhood in search of outlets willing to defy the ban, as we’ve seen in some media reports,” it said in a statement.
“This would lead to greater movement of people and more interactions than if smokers were able to buy cigarettes at their nearest legal outlet at the same time as buying all their other essential goods.”
