South Africa Police Service recovers illicit cigarettes worth multi-millions of Rands, arrests 6 suspects in Eldorado Park (Picture)

Today joint intelligence driven operation between the SAPS and SARS leads to the recovery of illicit cigarettes worth multi-millions of rands, and the arrest of 6 suspects in Eldorado Park. The possibility of more arrests cannot be ruled out.

According to the media statement released by SAPS Office of the Provisional Commissioner Gauteng:

The swift operationalisation of information on illicit cigarettes by the National Rapid Response team of the South African Revenue Service, and the subsequent joint operation with the South African Police Service, on Monday morning 17 August 2020, led to the arrest of six suspects after the integrated team discovered the suspects in the process of loading boxes of illicit cigarettes onto a number of trucks which were allegedly going to be dispatched to a destination(s) yet to be confirmed.

Preliminary reports suggest that the crime scene at an industrial site in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg has been used as a distribution nodal point where alleged traders, in this case the six arrested suspects, would collect the illicit cargo for further distribution and sales.

The possibility of more arrests cannot be ruled out.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (Hawks) will take over this case for further investigation.

Gauteng Commissioner of police, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela has welcomed the bust and arrests and urged the investigators to get to the bottom of this case in dealing decisively with organised crimes.