Durban - Three people were arrested after police found R4,6 million worth of illicit cigarettes in Bellville on Thursday in a joint operation by Metro Police and SAPS Crime Intelligence Head Office.
Five premises were searched, and according to metro police spokesperson Ruth Solomons approximately 231 master cases of various illicit brands of cigarettes were recovered.
“Three suspects aged 19, 32 and 25 were arrested for possession of illicit cigarettes and detained at Bellville SAPS.
“The contraband was booked in as evidence, and the case is now under further investigation by SAPS.” she said.
In a separate incident, a 47-year-old man was arrested for drug possession at a routine traffic stop in Brackenfell.
Solomons said Metro Police K9 unit officers were conducting crime prevention patrols when they pulled over a vehicle on Thursday morning for a defective brake light.
“They noticed that the driver appeared nervous, and so requested permission to search the vehicle.
“K9 Troy led his handler to 8 packets of uncut cocaine, 6 packets of cut cocaine and 30 units of crack cocaine under the driver’s seat.”
She said the suspect was arrested and detained at Brackenfell SAPS. He is due to appear in court shortly.
Earlier this month, a Western Cape policeman was sentenced to six years behind bars after he was caught escorting a vehicle transporting 4 000 illegal cigarettes.
Jerome Claude Hendricks was convicted of corruption in the Mitchells Plain Regional Court. The incident took place in 2011.
IOL