Cigarettes in horse box, heroin in socks

Sars has bust some creative smugglers, seizing millions in stolen goods tucked away in unusual crevices.

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Johannesburg - The SA Revenue Service (Sars) has bust some creative smugglers in the past week, seizing millions in stolen goods tucked away in unusual crevices.

On Monday, a Sars official at the Beit Bridge border post with Zimbabwe was inspecting trucks parked outside when he discovered one at about 2am carrying a horse in the trailer.

The driver didn’t have a permit and, said Sars spokesman Luther Lebelo, the officer experienced a “sixth sense about the truck” and did a thorough search.

Lebelo said the officer banged on the bottom of the trailer and noted an unusual sound.

Upon climbing inside, he discovered a carpet hiding wooden planks covering a hole, which contained several boxes of illicit cigarettes.

Then he noticed the roof of the trailer on the outside wasn’t the same level as on the inside.

He found a false compartment containing more illegal cigarettes.

“Altogether, 105 master cartons of illicit cigarettes with a street value of a little more than R1 million were confiscated,” said Lebelo.

Then on Tuesday, illicit cigarettes were discovered at the Lebombo border post, hidden in the undercarriage of a taxi.

“During a random search of vehicles at the main import gate, customs officials discovered 100 cartons of cigarettes wrapped in bags and strapped to the bottom of the taxi.

“They also discovered 320 pairs of undeclared All Star sneakers hidden under the taxi,” said Lebelo.

And in a third bust last week, two Customs Detector Dog Unit officials stopped a taxi illegally passing through the border near Oshoek in Swaziland.

“Customs officials searched the taxi and found packets of compressed dagga under the backseat and 58 small packets of heroin rolled up in socks.

“The suspect tried to escape but was tracked down on a nearby farm and arrested by the police. The dagga was valued at R1 218 and the heroin at R2 320,” said Lebelo.

He said these were considered significant seizures and Sars would continue in its bid to disrupt organised crime and reduce illicit trade.

shain.germaner@inl.co.za

The Star