Police in Limpopo arrested 49-year-old Anolt Tafa, a foreign person, on accusations of vi0lating the Medicines and Related Substances Act and the Customs and Excise Act after he was reportedly discovered with a shipment of skin lightening creams bound for South Africa.
Tafa came before the Musina Magistrate’s Court and was remanded in police prison.
“The police received intelligence about a truck travelling from Zimbabwe to South Africa loaded with prohibited cosmetic products (skin lightening creams).
A sting operation was conducted,” said Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa, Limpopo provincial spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks.
The law enforcement team thoroughly searched for the truck, and it was found abandoned inside the SA Revenue Service’s customs import yard at Beitbridge port of entry.
“A vehicle was parked in front of that truck to prevent it from being moved. The operational members continued with observation,” said Mmuroa.
Law enforcement authorities asked the driver to open the truck’s tarpaulin, and he did so. Mmuroa stated that illegal cosmetic products in the form of 48 boxes containing 144 items of Caro Light Oil; 1,614 boxes containing 72 items of Caro Light Cream in 120 millilitres; 348 boxes containing 48 items of Caro Light Cream in 300 millilitres; 300 boxes containing 48 items of Perfect White Cream in 150 millilitres; and 280 boxes containing 24 items of Perfect White Cream in 300 millilitres were discovered.
“The products were estimated to the value of over R960,000. The driver was unable to produce valid documents as required by the officers. Preliminary investigations established that no customs declaration documents were available for the consignment,” he said.
