Cape Town - A tip-off has led to the seizure of illicit cigarettes worth R10 million and declared as tissue paper at the Durban harbour.
The bust by customs officials of the South African Revenue Service (Sars) this past weekend was based on information received about a container that was imported from an East Asian country with contents incorrectly declared as tissue paper.
It follows an operation in Cape Town a few days ago when illegal cigarettes to the value of R6 million were seized, bringing the total value of the two seizures to R16m.
The vessel was delayed at outer anchorage and the container was only released on July 16, due to the recent riots in KwaZulu-Natal.
Immediately after the unrest, there was a delay with the Transnet core systems, which resulted in further delays at the port. As the port gradually recovered, the container was released from the port on July 28.
Once the container was scrutinised on the Transnet system, it was established that it contained illicit cigarettes, which may also be counterfeit.
Sars said after an arduous search on July 29, it was established that the cargo was delivered to a storage facility at Old North Coast Road in Glen Anil.
A search warrant was obtained at the Verulam Magistrate's Court on July 30, and Sars entered the premises.
Inside the warehouse were 950 master cases of Pacific 14mg cigarettes (illicit product) and 50 boxes of tissue paper.
A criminal case has been opened with the South African Police Service and investigations are ongoing.
Sars Commissioner Edward Kieswetter hailed the customs officials for getting to the storage facility despite the odds.
“Our customs officials understand the importance of preventing illicit goods, such as cigarettes, from entering South Africa, because they destroy local industry and contribute to the loss of jobs.Their actions are proof that Sars will not tolerate non-compliance by any taxpayer or trader and that we will make it hard and costly for those who wilfully flout our country’s laws,” Kieswetter said.
Cape Times