Border Management Authority officers thwarted a cross-border smuggling attempt and intercepted a truck driver at the Kopfontein Border Post this past weekend.
This led to the arrest of a 43-year-old Zimbabwean national. The authorities found Tiritese Chimbwanda with nearly 45 000 packets of banned Epiderm Cream.
Zimbabwean truck driver nabbed for smuggling
Chimbwanda, who was driving a truck from Botswana, reportedly told border officials he had no goods to declare.
However, according to the police, during a routine search on 25 May, Border Management Authority officers uncovered the concealed packets hidden beneath the trailer.
“The officials conducted a search and allegedly found 44 941 packets of Epiderm Cream hidden underneath the trailer,” said Lieutenant Colonel Tinyiko Mathebula. “The Medical Control Council released a report that declared this product undesirable.”
The suspect appears in court
The truck driver appeared in the Zeerust Magistrates’ Court on 27 May, charged with violating the Medicines and Related Substances Act of 1965. The imported Epiderm Cream makes it illegal in the country.
The case has been postponed to 3 June for a formal bail application. Authorities have vowed to intensify checks at all entry points to stem the flow of unregulated medical products.
Should the penalties for smuggling be tougher?
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