Staff Reporter
Police arrested three men and seized cigarettes valued at about R3.6 million during raids on a supermarket and warehouse in the Free State town of Boshof.
SAPS said in a statement on Saturday that the operation was conducted by the Bloemfontein K9 Unit and Provincial Crime Intelligence.
Information was received on Thursday about the distribution of illicit goods, police said, and an operation was conducted on Friday, which resulted in an “extensive blow to the illicit trade of cigarettes”.
Police first searched the supermarket in the Boshof central business district, where boxes containing counterfeit cigarettes were found hidden beneath a bed.
Officers then went to a warehouse in Voortrekker Street, where police said entry was gained “after much resistance from the suspects,” and more boxes of cigarettes were discovered.
Three men, aged 22, 44 and 56, were arrested and are expected to face charges relating to the possession of counterfeit cigarettes and contraventions of the Immigration Act.
Over 15,000 loose packets of cigarettes were seized, along with 339 boxes.
“The seized goods are estimated to be worth 3.6 million rands,” police said.
The suspects are expected to appear in the Boshof Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Tax Justice South Africa, an advocacy organisation campaigning against illicit trade, has estimated that illegal cigarettes account for more than 70% of the domestic market and cost the state about R30 billion in tax revenue annually.
The growth of the illegal market has also squeezed licensed producers.
British American Tobacco South Africa said in January that it planned to close its Heidelberg manufacturing plant by the end of 2026, putting about 230 jobs at risk, after production fell to about 35% of capacity.
The company attributed the decision to illicit competition and estimated that illegal products represented about 75% of the market.
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