A Zimbabwean truck driver and his accomplice have been sentenced to five years in prison after they were busted smuggling illicit goods worth R8 million.
The Polokwane Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sentenced Samuel Nkomo (38), a truck driver, and his accomplice Jesphat Aaron Mawire (46) to direct imprisonment for attempting to sneak in a massive consignment of Adalya Premium Hookah Tobacco without proper documents.
Their game was up on 11 September 2024 when the Capricorn Flying Squad stopped their white rigid MAN truck on the R521 (Dendron Road) during a routine stop-and-search. Cops discovered 908 boxes of hookah tobacco wrapped in plastic, with markings showing the consignment came from Turkey.
When asked for proper import papers, the duo handed over fraudulent documents, including a fake SAD 500 form and an invoice that didn’t exist in the SARS system. That’s all it took for officers to slap the cuffs on them.
During their court appearance, both men pleaded guilty, leading to their conviction. The state, represented by Advocate Phumudzo Mudau, argued for a stiff sentence, saying smuggling is a serious crime that needs to be stamped out. The court agreed and handed down five years of direct imprisonment to each of them.
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On top of that, the truck and the entire consignment of illicit tobacco have been forfeited to the state, and the convicts have been declared unfit to own firearms.
Advocate Ivy Thenga, the Director of Public Prosecutions, praised the sentence, warning that truckers tempted to make a quick buck with illegal loads should think twice. With border checks tightening and SARS stepping up crackdowns, smuggling could land you behind bars—just like these two.
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