Police in Limpopo Province, South Africa, have arrested two foreign nationals, aged 25 and 31, for possessing illicit Remington Gold cigarettes valued at around R1 million.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba confirmed that the arrests occurred on Monday. Said Ledwaba:
<blockquote>
Information was reportedly received regarding a white truck with Gauteng province registration, suspected of smuggling cigarettes from Zimbabwe to Gauteng via Northam.
In response, a joint operation was launched, involving Northam SAPS, Koedoeskop Rural Safety, and private security.
</blockquote>
The team identified the truck and made a tactical stop to search it. Said Ledwaba:
<blockquote>
A hidden compartment was found in the trailer, with a false panel concealing 170 boxes of illicit Remington Gold cigarettes with an estimated street value of R1.1 million.
The two foreign national male suspects were immediately arrested. They are expected to appear before Northam Magistrate’s Court soon, facing charges of possessing illicit cigarettes.
</blockquote>
Police said the cigarettes, the truck, and its trailer were impounded.
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Two men from Zimbabwe were caught in South Africa with illegal cigarettes worth R1 million. They were in a truck smuggling the cigarettes. The police found hidden compartments in the trailer with lots of illegal cigarettes. The two men were arrested and will go to court. The police took the cigarettes, truck, and trailer. The arrests happened after a joint operation by the police and security. The men are in trouble for having illegal cigarettes.

Two Zimbabweans Arrested With Large Shipment Of Illicit Cigarettes In South Africa

Statement by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi on the arrest of six suspects in connection with the robbery of a truck transporting Remington Gold cigarettes along the Masvingo-Harare Road:
<blockquote>
26th NOVEMBER 2023
ARREST OF SIX SUSPECTS FOR ROBBERY OF 581 BOXES OF REMINGTON GOLD CIGARETTES IN MASVINGO
The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms the arrest of Trymore Chimbambo (39), Maxwell Kudzibwe (28), Joe Partson (50), Takudzwa Brian Pawandiwa (33), Samuel Mushambiri (34) and Tatenda Gorombe (49) for a robbery case which occurred in Masvingo where 581 boxes of Remington Gold cigarettes were stolen on 21st November 2023.
The cigarettes were stolen at Gutu-turn off along Masvingo-Harare Road after the suspects, who were travelling in a Toyota Hilux twin cab, had intercepted an Isuzu rigid truck, which was carrying the cigarettes from Harare to Beitbridge, at the 54-kilometre peg along Masvingo-Beitbridge Road.
The suspects had posed as detectives, before handcuffing two occupants in the truck and forcing the driver to drive the truck to Gutu turn off.
On 23 November 2023, detectives arrested Trymore Chimbambo and Maxwell Kudzibwe at Highglen Shopping Centre, Harare after receiving information that linked Trymore Chimbambo to the robbery case.
The suspects implicated Joe Partson, Takudzwa Brian Pawandiwa, Samuel Mushambiri and Tatenda Gorombe, leading to their arrests.
The arrest led to the recovery of 430 boxes of Remington Gold cigarettes at a house along Stay Field, Waterfalls, Harare and a company at Tilco Industries, Chitungwiza. Detectives also recovered the suspects’ get-away vehicle, a Toyota Hilux and a Mercedes Benz rigid truck which was used to transport the stolen consignment from Masvingo to Harare.
Meanwhile, the Police is appealing for information that may lead to the arrest of the outstanding suspects identified as Gift Kajawo of Hopley Zone 2, Harare, Norest Dipi alias Kabhuru and Tawanda.
Anyone with information contact the National Complaints Desk on 0242 703631 or WhatsApp number on 0712800197 or report at any nearest Police Station.
</blockquote>
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Fake Detectives Hijack Truck Transporting Remington Gold Cigarettes

There is a video circulating on social media which shows dozens of cigarettes being smuggled into South Africa from Zimbabwe. Although the date of the incident could not be ascertained, we do believe it was after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Massive quantities of cigarettes poured across the Limpopo border from Zimbabwe when South Africa banned the sale of cigarettes to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They became freely available on the black market at a fraction of the cost of more established brands such as Marlboro, manufactured by Philip Morris and it is alleged that the treasury lost billions of Rands in revenue each month. Watch the video recently posted by Star FM Zimbabwe:
<div>
<video controls="controls" height="426" preload="metadata" width="236"><a href="https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Cigarettes.mp4">https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Cigarettes.mp4</a></video></div>
Brands that have been poured into South Africa include Remington Gold (RG) cigarettes, one of Gold Leaf’s brands. This has resulted in South African authorities opening a<a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/illicit-trade-case-gold-leaf-tobacco-rudland-vow-to-fight-order-granted-to-sa-revenue-service/"> case on illicit tobacco</a>, gold and fuel transactions against <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Simon_Rudland">Simon Rudland</a>, a Zimbabwe-based tycoon and co-owner of <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Gold_Leaf_Tobacco_Zimbabwe">Gold Leaf Tobacco.</a>
Rudland and his Gold Leaf Tobacco say they could not be held responsible for cigarettes legitimately bought in Zimbabwe and smuggled across the border.
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