Millions of illegal cigarettes worth R18 million will go up in smoke on Friday where they will be destroyed at a State-owned warehouse in Cape Town.
Representatives from various government departments including The South African Revenue Services (SARS) will be on-site to witness the cigarettes being shredded, with due regard to health and safety protocols.
According to a statement issued by SARS, the waste will then be transferred via a conveyor belt to special trucks and removed under supervision to a secured landfill site.
The illegal cigarettes were seized in various operations, including the seizure of a 40-foot container smuggled into the country and falsely declared as another commodity.
SARS say the destruction must send a strong message that the government has adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards illegal trade and to sensitise the public about the harm that these goods do to our economy and the health of our people.
