The helping hand of hi-tech was to the fore when Border Management Authority (BMA) personnel confiscated illicit tobacco in a targeted operation on the commercial side of the Beitbridge port of entry.

The operation, a BMA statement has it, took place during the early hours of 19 November and saw the authority’s newly acquired video scope inspection toolkit put to good use. Its advanced imaging capability enabled junior border guards to detect a concealed load on a commercial truck coming into South Africa from Zimbabwe.

The hi-tech “tip-off” – as it were – prompted a physical inspection which saw 14 so-called “master boxes” of Remington Gold cigarettes confiscated and a Zimbabwean arrested. The confiscation is now in the hands of the SA Police Service (SAPS) with a docket opened.

The new scanner, as per the statement, was decisive in detecting this illicit load, underscoring the value of continued investment in modern border control technology. It reads further “the efforts of junior border guards continue to ensure co-ordinated rapid response. The joint operations approach that needs to be implemented by law enforcement working in vulnerable areas is central to disrupting sophisticated smuggling networks”.

“Illicit tobacco deprives the South African Revenue Service (SARS) of critical revenue. By intercepting such consignments, the BMA helps to safeguard tax integrity and public finances. Beyond the immediate financial loss, illicit cigarettes pose health risks and fuel organised crime,” the statement has BMA Commissioner Michael Masiapato saying.