R25 Million worth of illicit goods discovered in Polokwane
Police have uncovered an illicit cigarette storage warehouse in the Nirvana area of Polokwane, Limpopo leading to the arrest of the warehouse manager and the seizure of goods worth more than R25 million.
The operation was carried out during a joint compliance inspection involving the South African Police Service, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, as well as national consumer protection authorities.
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The inspection formed part of ongoing efforts to clamp down on illicit trade and counterfeit goods in the province.
During the raid, authorities discovered thousands of boxes of illicit cigarettes stored inside the warehouse. Officials also confiscated other products found on the premises, including large quantities of energy drinks and several household goods suspected to be part of the illegal distribution network.
The warehouse has since been placed under police guard while investigations continue.
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The Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism said it is confident that this is not an isolated incident and believes there may be other warehouses storing illicit goods in and around Polokwane.
The department indicated that compliance inspections will be intensified throughout the year as authorities work to dismantle illegal trade networks across Limpopo.
