A 42-year-old truck driver was arrested in the Xhariep district after his attempt to avoid a roadblock led to the discovery of contraband in his trailers.
Members of the police were conducting a roadblock in the Rouxville area when they were tipped off about a suspicious truck.
The driver had made a sudden turn to avoid the roadblock and parked near a petrol station.
When approached by police, he claimed he was merely resting after a long drive from Gauteng to the Eastern Cape for a delivery.
However, the police, acting on intelligence-led information, were not convinced.
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A thorough search of the truck revealed 400 boxes of illicit cigarettes hidden under the sails, with an estimated street value of R12 million.
The foreign national driver was promptly arrested for possession of illicit cigarettes, and his truck was confiscated.
He is set to make his first appearance at the Rouxville Magistrate Court today.