Ashley Masakadza

A cigarette smuggler was nabbed at the Beitbridge Boarder Post while trying to transport Zimbabwean made cigarettes to South Africa using a gas tanker.

Hillary Makopa (28) was caught by the police on 18 November while trying to smuggle 500 (50×10×20) and 200 (25×10×20) Remington Gold cigarettes he had stuffed in a tanker.

In a statement,  the police said they found out about the contents that were in the tanker after it was scanned at the export point after the tank was declared empty.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms the arrest of Hillary Makopa (28) for smuggling cigarettes using a gas tanker truck on 18th November2023 at Beitbridge Border Post.

The suspect was driving the truck which was scanned at the export point and indicated that the tanker, which had been declared empty, was actually loaded with boxes of cigarettes.

The contraband comprising, 585 (50 * 10× 20) boxes and 256 ( 25 * 10×20) of Remington Gold cigarettes was recovered from the tanker on 19th November 2023,” the statement reads.

The development comes after the police recently amplified efforts to pursue cross-border crime syndicates at all points of entry, using new equipment to identify such targets.