A RICHARDS Bay police office caught smuggling more than 70 000 counterfeit cigarettes in a police van last week, has been released on R2 000 bail.
Warrant Officer Nelson Nyawo (42) made his first appearance at the KwaMbonambi Magistrate’s Court on Monday along with co-accused Maria Sibiya (35), on charges of being in possession of illicit cigarettes in terms of the Custom and Excise Act.
Nyawo, who is stationed at the Richards Bay Operational Response Service Harbour, was nabbed at around 8pm at Siteza on the N2 southbound last week following a high speed chase with police.
Led by members of Crime Intelligence Empangeni, police followed a tip-off that a SAP marked vehicle without a front number plate was transporting a stash of illegal cigarettes from eManguzi to Durban.
The vehicle was spotted along the N2 near Mtubatuba.
Chasing the state vehicle, Crime Intelligence requested back-up from the KwaMsane Tactical Response Team and the the bakkie was intercepted..
Recovered
On searching the van, police found nine boxes containing illicit cigarettes to the street value of more than R100 000. The 350 cartons were wrapped in black plastic packets.
A police state pistol was also recovered.
The police bakkie had reportedly been booked out for an ‘investigation’ in the north.
The arrest is part of a bigger syndicate involving the smuggling of cigarettes from the Mozambican border into KZN.
Sibiya was denied bail and remains in custody. The case has been remanded to Tuesday, 27 May.
Wow a policeman in a crime dats bad,they should be talking about justice n not committing crime n as citizens hw can we trust them if they have curruption?they derserve to rot in jail.