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An “anxious driver” was raised on suspicion of a road blockage between the Eastern and Western Cape, which led to the discovery of R200,000 worth of illegal cigarettes hidden under a layer of pineapples.
According to police spokesman Capt. Malcolm Pojie, a Ford bakkie with a load of pineapple approached the obstacle at the Tsitsikamma toll gate while en route from Grahamstown to George on Tuesday at 06:50.
“A vigilant member connected to the Knysna Dog Unit, which was deployed at the roadblock, noted that the driver appeared to be anxious.
“As a result, he stopped the vehicle and continued with a routine search. When the member moved some of the pineapples aside in the back of the bakkie, he discovered eight boxes filled with 50 cartons of cigarettes at the estimated value of approximately R200,000 hidden low [the] pineapples.
“The 30-year-old man was arrested on the spot and the illicit cigarettes were confiscated. The suspect was prosecuted at the Plettenberg Bay Police Station and issued a summons to appear in Plettenberg Bay Magistrates Court at a later date and time. . ”
Pojie said the illicit cigarettes were intended for distribution in George. “It is clear that drug traffickers are still exploring alternative ways to commit their illegal activities in an attempt to evade arrest.”
In a separate incident, the police confiscated 450 illicit cigarettes with an estimated value of R5,000 in Ladismith on Friday. A 35-year-old man received a summons and was released after paying a R2,000 fine.
Dagga worth R85,000 confiscated
“In another incident in [Monday morning], members deployed to a roadblock on R62 in the Langkloof area stopped a Mercedes-Benz vehicle that was en route from the East to the Western Cape, “Pojie said.
“Searching the trunk of the vehicle, members found three bags filled with dagga. The dagga weighing 63.1 kg is estimated to be worth around R85,000.”
The dagga and the vehicle used to transport the shipment were confiscated.
A 26-year-old suspect was arrested and detained in the Uniondale detention cells. He made his first court appearance at George’s Magistrates Court on Wednesday accused of drug possession.
The Eden cluster commander, Major General Oswald Reddy, praised members of the police for their vigilance and commitment.
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