Faizel Patel – 09/04/2021
The South African Revenue Services (SARS) has destroyed 12 million illegal cigarettes with a market value of R18 million will be destroyed in Cape Town on Friday.
Sars says various government departments fighting against illegal imports and exports will shred the cigarettes at the State Warehouse on Cape Town’s Foreshore.
The revenue collection service says 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. The clampdown on illicit imports and exports is a major focus of government under the auspices of the Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) on Illicit Trade, which consists of several government departments and agencies.”
The IAWG focuses on illegal clothing, textiles, footwear, leather, infrastructure sold as scrap metal, as well as second hand motor vehicles.
Sars says the destruction of the illegal goods must send a strong message that 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.
“Such illegal activities destroy the country’s manufacturing capacity, which in turn leads to unemployment, inequality and poverty. Illegal imports and exports are also a source of funding for criminal syndicates.”
Sars says the fight against the scourge of illegal imports and exports is also of major importance because it reduces the amount of revenue that it collects.
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