There are a number of “illicit” goods doing the rounds at the moment.

One of the main arguments that The Fair-Trade Independent Tobacco Association (Fita) will be making in their upcoming court case appealing to government to ease up on the tobacco ban, is that the black market cigarette trade is on the rise.

This past Friday, three bakkies transporting 40 boxes, containing 500 packets of cigarettes to the street value of R900 000, were intercepted by police.

Friday was a busy day for people trying to smuggle goods, and as it turns out, people, across provincial borders.

IOL reports:

A couple’s plan to smuggle a young woman out of Gauteng into Mpumalanga during lockdown has landed the pair in prison over the weekend.

A roadblock manned by the police at the N12 Mpumalanga-Gauteng border saw police, Gauteng Community Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko and her Mpumalanga counterpart, MEC Gabisile Tshabalala, make the discovery.

When police went to search the boot of the man’s VW Polo, they found his girlfriend. She apparently “consented to be smuggled”.

Mazibuko posted about the arrest on Twitter. Her tweet quickly went viral, garnering thousands of comments and retweets.

One of the lockdown prohibitions is the movement of people between provinces and districts.

The roadblock also uncovered illegal transportation of alcohol. Another woman was fined for trying to cross the border with three children.

These are strange times, indeed.

[source:iol]