Rangers, Hilux, and R4 Million in Smokes: SANDF Busts Major Cigarette Syndicate Near Beitbridge

South African soldiers deployed along the Limpopo River border have struck again, confiscating illicit cigarettes and vehicles worth more than R4 million in two intelligence-driven operations near Beitbridge.

According to information supplied by Captain Moses Semono, soldiers from the 1 South African Tank Regiment, operating under Joint Tactical Headquarters Limpopo, acted on intelligence and entered a farm along the R572 road.

The Haul

There, they discovered:

• Two Ford Rangers and a Toyota Hilux D4D, valued collectively at R1,100,000

• The vehicles were fully loaded with illicit cigarettes valued at R2,551,000

One suspect was apprehended at the scene. Another managed to flee.

A Second Strike

In a related operation on the southern side of the Beitbridge Port of Entry, soldiers confiscated a Toyota Fortuner valued at R250,000 that was packed to the brim with illicit cigarettes worth R450,151.20.

Handover to SAPS

Members of the South African Police Service were called to both scenes and took over the cases for further investigation and processing in line with protocol.

Officer Commanding Joint Tactical Headquarters Limpopo, Colonel Dikgabane Herold Tladi, commended officer commanding 1 South African Tank Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Lungile Frans, for the work carried out by the soldiers during the operations.

A Pattern of Vigilance

Earlier this week, the SANDF said its members deployed in Limpopo remain “extremely vigilant” as they continue border safeguarding operations.

On 8 February 2026, members of the same unit spotted a Toyota Land Cruiser valued at R1,513,300 attempting to cross the Limpopo River. The occupants fled, and soldiers guarded the vehicle until 17 February when resources became available to retrieve it. That vehicle was confirmed stolen in Boksburg on 6 February.

In a separate incident, a Fortuner valued at R539,900 was confiscated at Gumbu along the Zimbabwe border.

The Bigger Picture

The Beitbridge corridor remains a key smuggling route for illicit cigarettes, which deprive the fiscus of billions in excise duties and undercut legitimate traders. The SANDF’s ongoing operations are disrupting these networksone vehicle, one load at a time.

For the soldiers on the ground, the message is clear: stay vigilant. The smugglers will keep trying. So will they.

{Source: IOL}

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com