From: EyeWitnessNews (SA)
The Tobacco Institute of South Africa said over the past month, more than 160 million counterfeit cigarettes have been confiscated in the country.
The South African Revenue Service and the police arrested a man in possession of about five million contraband cigarettes in Mpumalanga last week.
Consumers have been warned to be suspicious if a pack of 20 cigarettes is sold for less than R14,50.
CEO Francois van der Merwe said this year, more than 800 million cigarettes have been seized.
“More than 50 million illegal cigarettes are sold daily in this country. They fraud the revenue services and our government of R3 billion in duties not paid,” he said.
