Members of the Upington Border Police acted on intelligence received on Monday, 23 June 2025, regarding the illegal sale of cigarettes at a shop in Groblershoop, as well as an alleged storage facility where a consignment of illicit cigarettes had been offloaded.
After verifying the information with Crime Intelligence, authorities secured a search warrant. On Wednesday, 25 June 2025, a coordinated buy-and-bust operation was conducted with the support of the Upington K9 Unit and Customs officials.
During the raid, police uncovered and confiscated 110 master cases, 68 cartons, and 46 individual packets of illicit cigarettes, with an estimated street value of R2.8 million. The seized goods were handed over to Customs for further investigation.
No arrests have been reported at this stage, but authorities have confirmed that the operation is part of ongoing efforts to combat the trade of illegal tobacco products in the region.
