Another Swazi truck detained for smuggling E2m cigarettes

MBABANE—Yet another truck owned by a Swazi businessman has been detained in South Africa after being used to smuggle cigarette cases worth over E2 million.

The truck driver managed to go through Customs officials at the Swazi side of Sicunusa border with the consignment, until officials at the South African side noticed the undeclared consignment loaded in its trailer.

The truck belongs to a company owned by Manzini businessman Terrence Mabila. He owns a fleet of trucks. The trucks normally ferry coal from Middelburg to SAPPI Usuthu at Bhunya.

According to unconfirmed reports, the impounded truck was used to smuggle over 500 boxes of cigarettes to South Africa.

The exact value of the consignment could not be confirmed at the time of compiling this report, however, a businessman close to the trade said 500 boxes could be worth E3 million.

Mabila referred questions to his attorney, Mduduzi Mabila.

"Unfortunately, I cannot give you details at the moment because we have not gone to see the driver yet," said Mabila the attorney.

He said the owner of the tuck was not aware that the truck would be used to smuggle an illegal consignment of cigarettes.

"The driver abused the truck. Its normal course of business is to ferry coal from Middelburg to SAPPI. We will go to see the driver on Monday. Once we’ve been given a chance to see him, I will be able to give details," he said.

The name of the driver has not been released yet.

This is the fourth major cigarette bust since April. The first consignment was intercepted by the local police and Customs officials in Nhlangano just before Mahamba border early this year. It was worth over E3 million, and was only released after a lengthy court process. The second consignment was caught by the South African police near Badplaas. That consignment, too, belonged to the late Thulani Mndvoti and had been smuggled through Mahamba.

The other consignment was transported in a truck belonging to Unitrans, and was only released after lawyers intervened two months ago. The owner of the consignment was not disclosed.

Another major bust involved a consignment confiscated by the Customs Department with the help of police from a bonded warehouse rented by Tanya Investments – a company that had links with the Speaker of the House of Assembly Prince Guduza. He resigned from the company amid reports of a questionable consignment. The consignment was later released through a court order, to flamboyant businessman Peter Matsimbe.

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