On 29 July 2011, SARS customs officials recovered approximately 10 million illegal 'Range' cigarettes from a container in Johannesburg and 15 000 illegal 'Dullah's' cigarettes from a reseller in Lenasia. No arrests were made in the former case but a suspect was arrested in the second case.
In Benoni on 1 August 2011, SAPS officers recovered close on 100 000 illegal 'Voyager' cigarettes from a reseller in the area, arresting one suspect was arrested and detaining the stock.
"These arrests are part of several successful interventions this year by SARS and SAPS in a concerted effort to eradicate illicit cigarettes from the market," said Francois van der Merwe, CEO of the Tobacco Institute of Southern Africa (TISA).
"Fifteen million illegal cigarettes are sold on a daily basis in South Africa, which at current excise rates deprives the South African economy of tax revenue of more than R2.9 billion per annum."
