Two taxi operators were arrested on Monday evening after members of the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) intercepted a consignment of prohibited GT cigarettes valued at E380 000.
The arrests took place at the army checkpoint near Lugongolweni along the Mhlumeni–Siteki road. According to the UEDF, the cigarettes, believed to have been smuggled from Mozambique, were loaded in two vehicles and concealed in the back seats and boots.
GT cigarettes originate from Mozambique and are classified as prohibited goods in Eswatini.
During a routine stop-and-search, army personnel requested to inspect the vehicles. The drivers allegedly failed to produce any documentation authorising the importation of the cigarettes.
Both were ordered to offload the consignment for further inspection. However, one of the drivers attempted to flee, speeding off immediately after offloading the boxes. He was apprehended before reaching Siteki.
Customs officials from the Mhlumeni Border Post were called in to verify whether the goods had been declared upon entry and preliminary findings indicated they had not.
The drivers later informed the army that they were taxi operators based in Siteki.
They were handed over to the police and detained pending their court appearance. At the time of publication, the suspects had not yet been taken to court.
UEDF Public Relations Officer Tengetile Khumalo confirmed the interception of the prohibited Mozambican cigarettes.
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