Foreign national arrested with huge haul of booze and smokes 

By Buziwe Nocuze

A 52-year-old foreign national is facing charges of possession of presumed stolen property after police members attached to an integrated operation recovered a consignment of cigarettes and alcohol at a storage facility in Burgundy Estate in the Western Cape. 

A local resident, Luyolo Dwadwa said he is not shocked about the foreign national’s arrest. 

“They have been involved in so many criminal activities and they don’t stop because they get away with anything,” said Dwadwa. 

“Committing the crime in another country shows disrespect to our government and laws. They need to get harsher sentences.” 

He said foreign nationals are working with South Africans. 

“Those South Africans have been committing crimes for too long. They must be punished along with their friends. I am certain that the suspect was not working alone,” said Dwadwa. 

Western Cape SAPS spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said that after investigating information about the storage of presumed stolen property as a result of hijackings, they recovered a consignment of cigarettes and alcohol on 6 June.

“Reports suggest that police members responded to a hijacking in Klapmuts a week ago. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident confirmed that the delivery vehicle was driven to an unknown location,” said Swartbooi. 

The gathering of intelligence regarding the possible escape routes and suspicious warehouse led the crime fighting team to a storage facility in Burgundy Estate. 

“The police discovered a huge consignment of alcohol and cigarettes. The adult male at the warehouse, a foreign national, could not provide proof of purchase and was arrested,” said Swartbooi. 

The suspect was expected to appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s court on Monday. 

Western Cape Police Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile, commended the efforts of police officers involved in ensuring that perpetrators are brought to book. 

Pictured above: Alcohol and cigarettes with an estimated street value of R1.7-million were confiscated in Burgundy Estate in the Western Cape. 

Source: Supplied