POLOKWANE : Tuesday 11 July 2023 - The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe welcomed twelve convictions with eighteen years imprisonment for the two convicts.
The two Zimbabwean Nationals Farai Dangani (31) and Andrea Muchari (33) pleaded guilty on six counts of Contravention of section 80(1)(a) of Customs and excise Act and with one count of Contravention of Immigration Act each that was heard in the Commercial Court held in Giyani on Monday 10 July 2023.
The Court heard that eleven Zimbabwean nationals male suspects were arrested on Wednesday 09 February 2023 during an Intelligence driven Operation conducted by the Provincial Organised Crime Investigation Unit along Beja road at Makhado in Vhembe District. The suspects were spotted driving in five motor vehicles loaded with illicit Cigarettes and were also found being in the Country illegally.
The case was assigned to Detective Sergeant Makgorometje Makgahlela for investigations and he successfully opposed bail against all the suspects.
The remaining nine accused were remanded in custody and are scheduled to appear before the Commercial Court in Giyani in October 2023 for their trial proceedings.
Both Convicts were sentenced to nine years and six months with option to pay fine of R185 000 each and the terms will run concurrently. They were both declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The five motor vehicles that included three Sedans and two SUVs used in the commission of the Crime were forfeited to the State, including confiscated illicit Cigarettes worth half a million rands.
Police investigations are still continuing.