Bay cop nabbed in ciggie bust
Cigarettes to the street value of R100 000 were confiscated during a raid at KwaMbonambi last night.
A SEASONED police officer in Richards Bay was caught smuggling more than 70 000 illegal cigarettes in a police van following a high speed chase in KwaMbonambi last night.
Led by Crime Intelligence Empangeni, police followed a tip-off at around 7.45pm that a SAP marked vehicle without a front number plate was transporting a stash of cigarettes from eManguzi en route to Durban.
Chasing the state vehicle, Crime Intelligence called back-up from the KwaMsane Tactical Response Teamand intercepted the bakkie at Siteza on the N2 southbound near KwaMbonambi.
Two occupants were arrested on the scene including the driver – a police officer stationed at the Richards Bay Operational Response Service Harbour and a woman.
On searching the van, police found 350 of 200 cigarette cartons in nine bags wrapped in black plastic packets to the street value of R100 000.
A police state pistol was recovered as well as the state vehicle.
The suspects were charged with smuggling of illegal cigarettes and are being detained at the KwaMbonambi SAP. They will appear in court next week. The arrest is part of a bigger syndicate involving the smuggling of cigarettes from the Mozambican border into KZN.
