Foreigners arrested for selling prohibited items and drug trafficking
Contraband items that were confiscated by the Police. Picture: supplied
Police in the Free State have arrested foreigners in separate incidents for contraband goods and trafficking drugs.
In the first incident, six foreigners from Bangladesh and Ethiopia, aged between 30 and 51, were arrested for allegedly selling contraband goods such as illicit cigarettes and prohibited medicinal products.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Thabo Covane said the six are managers of various stores in Welkom.
The Operation Vala uMgodi team arrested them during a Second-hand Goods Compliance inspection on Friday. The operation was executed in the Koppie Allen, Mooi, and Jan Hofmeyer Street areas.
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Confiscated items
He added that the contraband items they confiscated include different cigarette brands such as Blue Chief, Remington Gold, Savanah Green, Boss, Sahawi, and Ossam, and hubby flavours, such as Afzal mint, F1, VIP, and Sniper.
The police confiscated medical products such as Betasol, Beneks, Diproson, Epiderm, Turmeric essential oils, Coco pulp cream, and Caro light cream.
Contraband items confiscated by the police. Picture: supplied
Items worth
'The total sales value of contraband cigarettes and medicinal products seized is estimated at R235 855.00,' said Covane.
Case dockets for Possession of illicit cigarettes and Contravention of the Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965 were opened at Welkom Police Station.
The six will appear before the Welkom Magistrate's Court soon. Contraband goods can pose significant risks to individuals, communities, and economies, and law enforcement agencies work to prevent their production, distribution, and sale.
Illicit cigarettes confiscated. Picture: Supplied
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Drug trafficking
In the second incident, police arrested a 43-year-old foreigner for alleged possession and dealing in drugs on Friday evening.
Police spokesperson Captain Loraine Earle said they were acting on intelligence received from the Free State Provincial Counter Narcotics Unit and with the support of a private security company when they made the arrest.
The operation was conducted on the N1 near Ventersburg and led to the interception of a truck travelling towards Cape Town.
Drugs confiscated by the police. Picture: supplied
Drugs worth
She added that members of the Welkom K9 Unit discovered more than 6 600 bundles of Khat, a prohibited substance, concealed in the vehicle.
The estimated street value of the confiscated drugs is approximately R198 900.
'He is expected to appear in the Ventersburg Magistrate's Court on Monday.'
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