Zimbabwe Police Intercept Cigarette Smuggling Syndicates

Source from:  Star Africa  09/15/2014

Zimbabwean police have busted two syndicates involved in the smuggling of cigarettes to South Africa during the past week, state media reported Saturday.According to the official Herald daily, in one of the incidents a crack anti-smuggling team involving the police, army and revenue collection officials intercepted on Tuesday a train laden with boxes of export-quality cigarettes at Beitbridge border post that was bound for South Africa.

The train drivers had alleged lied to Zimbabwe Revenue Authority officials at the border post that the train was empty but inspections revealed that it was in fact laden with cigarettes that were being smuggled to South Africa.

The law enforcement officials are still looking for the owners of the cigarettes estimated to be valued at more than US$760,000.

In another incident, the police intercepted on the same day another syndicate that was allegedly trying to smuggle 72 boxes of cigarettes valued at more than US$57,000 to South Africa.

Investigations by the Herald revealed that the Zimbabwean-made cigarettes are later rebranded and exports as South African products to Europe and Asia. Enditem