South Africa: Tobacco Gang Smoked out in City Deep

Source from:  News 24 South Africa 09/07/2015

Sixteen people were arrested while allegedly trying to steal tobacco worth R14m on Sunday, Gauteng police said.

They arrived at the property in City Deep and told security guards they were fetching a consignment, Lieutenant-Colonel Katlego Mogale said.

While they were loading about 90 boxes into their trucks the police were alerted. The Johannesburg　South Yorkshire dads urged to quit smoking Squad and the K9 dog unit arrived, arrested all 16 and recovered the tobacco.

Police seized 11 cellphones and found nine packets of dagga in the driver's cab of one of the trucks.

In July, it was announced that national police commissioner General Riah Phiyega had approved of establishing an intelligence-driven, undercover operation to stop cigarette robberies, either at depots or while delivery trucks were in transit.

In April, Parliament's trade and industry portfolio committee heard that R22bn in taxes had been lost since 2010 due to the illicit trade in tobacco, and that almost one quarter of the market was illicit trade. Enditem