Johannesburg – Four people, including two police officers, were arrested on Friday, for being in possession of counterfeit cigarettes valued R180 000, in Mtubatuba along the N2 near Nkodibe turn off, KwaZulu-Natal police said.
"South African Police Service were conducting a roadblock on the N2 when they attempted to stop two vehicles but the vehicles refused to stop, they then contacted their colleagues at Mtubatuba and alerted them to the suspicious vehicles," spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said.
Naicker said police officers from Mtubatuba spotted the vehicles, a white Toyota Hilux and a white Toyota Etios travelling along the N2 near the Nkodibe turn-off.
Both vehicles were stopped by police and a search was conducted on both motor vehicles.
"At least 36 boxes of counterfeit cigarettes were discovered in the Toyota Hilux and two suspects, aged 41 and 43, from the Toyota Hilux were arrested for being in possession of the counterfeit goods," he said.
"Police then discovered that the Toyota Etios was an unmarked police vehicle and that the occupants were policemen who were escorting the Toyota Hilux. The two police officers, aged 50 and 54, who are stationed at the Vehicle Identification Section in Isipingo, were then placed under arrest."
All four suspects will appear in the Mtubatuba Magistrate's Court soon facing charges of possession of counterfeit goods, corruption and defeating the ends of justice.