{"id":308390,"date":"2026-05-22T09:38:56","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T07:38:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/?p=308390"},"modified":"2026-05-22T09:59:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T07:59:27","slug":"illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/","title":{"rendered":"Illicit cigarettes worth millions found stashed in truck traveling along R57"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SASOLBURG <\/strong>\u2013\u00a0A well-coordinated intelligence-driven police operation on the R57 near Zamdela has resulted in the arrest of two men after authorities uncovered illicit cigarettes worth more than R3 million hidden inside a truck allegedly transporting illegal goods through the Free State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The suspects, aged 60 and 45, were arrested on Wednesday morning, 20 May, following a joint operation involving the Infrastructure Task Team, Highway Patrol Shift A, Viljoendrift Shift and Gauteng Crime Intelligence Gathering (CIG). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police<\/a> spokesperson Sgt Josephine Rani\u00a0said officers had acted on intelligence regarding a truck travelling along the R57 route near Zamdela at about 08:30. The vehicle was intercepted and escorted to the Zamdela Police Station for a detailed inspection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the investigation, the suspects allegedly attempted to bribe police officers with R900 in an effort to prevent the search from continuing after they had reportedly failed to provide invoices or documentation for the goods being transported. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A subsequent search of the truck led to the discovery of 499 boxes of illicit cigarettes concealed beneath 74 boxes of foam cups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ALSO READ<\/strong>: Police seize illicit cigarettes worth R7.8 million<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The illicit cigarettes are estimated to have a street value of approximately R3,1 million. The successful operation is being viewed as another significant breakthrough in the fight against the illegal tobacco trade, which continues to cost the country billions in lost tax revenue annually while fuelling organised crime networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two suspects are expected to appear in the Sasolburg Magistrate\u2019s Court on charges relating to the possession of illicit cigarettes and bribery.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Police discovered 499 boxes of illicit cigarettes, estimated to have a street value of R3,1 million, concealed beneath 74 boxes of foam cups. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":308391,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_eb_attr":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"author_byline":"","competition_end_date":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","language_version_url":"","post_language":"en","video_embed_url":"","scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[9700,9701,7909,9702,9703],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-308390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-illicit-cigarettes","tag-r57","tag-recommended","tag-sasolburg-magistrates-court","tag-zamdela"],"yoast_head":"\nIllicit cigarettes worth millions found stashed in truck traveling along R57 | BloemNews Express<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A police operation on the R57 near Zamdela resulted in the arrest of two men; authorities found illicit cigarettes of more than R3 million hidden in a truck.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Illicit cigarettes worth millions found stashed in truck traveling along R57\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A police operation on the R57 near Zamdela resulted in the arrest of two men; authorities found illicit cigarettes of more than R3 million hidden in a truck.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BloemNews Express\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-22T07:38:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-22T07:59:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-Sasolburg.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1584\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"VrystaatKroon\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"VrystaatKroon\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"VrystaatKroon\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f74825a3271e304decd9bb0086c6af13\"},\"headline\":\"Illicit cigarettes worth millions found stashed in truck traveling along R57\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-22T07:38:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-22T07:59:27+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":261,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/Police-Sasolburg.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"illicit cigarettes\",\"R57\",\"Recommended\",\"Sasolburg Magistrate\u2019s Court\",\"Zamdela\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\\\/\",\"name\":\"Illicit cigarettes worth millions found stashed in truck traveling along R57 | BloemNews Express\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/Police-Sasolburg.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-22T07:38:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-22T07:59:27+00:00\",\"description\":\"A police operation on the R57 near Zamdela resulted in the arrest of two men; authorities found illicit cigarettes of more than R3 million hidden in a truck.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/Police-Sasolburg.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/Police-Sasolburg.jpg\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":1584,\"caption\":\"Police members search a truck during an intelligence-driven operation near Zamdela, where hundreds of boxes of illicit cigarettes were uncovered. PHOTO: Supplied\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Illicit cigarettes worth millions found stashed in truck traveling along R57\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\",\"name\":\"BloemNuus\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"BloemNuus\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"BloemNuus\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/bloemnuus\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/bloemnuus\"],\"description\":\"BloemNews is a prominent newspaper in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province in South Africa. BloemNews serves the local community with coverage of regional news, events, and issues of interest. The newspaper provides updates on a variety of topics, including local politics, business, sports, and social matters, with a focus on the city and surrounding areas. Its publication is a reflection of Bloemfontein\u2019s vibrant community, catering to both English and Afrikaans-speaking readers. It also serves as an important platform for local advertising, businesses, and public announcements. In Bloemfontein, BloemNews is often considered a key source of information.\",\"email\":\"bloemnuus@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"051-4047600\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f74825a3271e304decd9bb0086c6af13\",\"name\":\"VrystaatKroon\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/db8d32fe3b8afd81fe8a56f2569041900de6ac3ca727d9318273beb22736cb10?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/db8d32fe3b8afd81fe8a56f2569041900de6ac3ca727d9318273beb22736cb10?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/db8d32fe3b8afd81fe8a56f2569041900de6ac3ca727d9318273beb22736cb10?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"VrystaatKroon\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/author\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Illicit cigarettes worth millions found stashed in truck traveling along R57 | BloemNews Express","description":"A police operation on the R57 near Zamdela resulted in the arrest of two men; authorities found illicit cigarettes of more than R3 million hidden in a truck.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Illicit cigarettes worth millions found stashed in truck traveling along R57","og_description":"A police operation on the R57 near Zamdela resulted in the arrest of two men; authorities found illicit cigarettes of more than R3 million hidden in a truck.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/","og_site_name":"BloemNews Express","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/","article_published_time":"2026-05-22T07:38:56+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-05-22T07:59:27+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1500,"height":1584,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-Sasolburg.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"VrystaatKroon","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"VrystaatKroon","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/"},"author":{"name":"VrystaatKroon","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/f74825a3271e304decd9bb0086c6af13"},"headline":"Illicit cigarettes worth millions found stashed in truck traveling along R57","datePublished":"2026-05-22T07:38:56+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-22T07:59:27+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/"},"wordCount":261,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-Sasolburg.jpg","keywords":["illicit cigarettes","R57","Recommended","Sasolburg Magistrate\u2019s Court","Zamdela"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/","name":"Illicit cigarettes worth millions found stashed in truck traveling along R57 | BloemNews Express","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-Sasolburg.jpg","datePublished":"2026-05-22T07:38:56+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-22T07:59:27+00:00","description":"A police operation on the R57 near Zamdela resulted in the arrest of two men; authorities found illicit cigarettes of more than R3 million hidden in a truck.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-Sasolburg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-Sasolburg.jpg","width":1500,"height":1584,"caption":"Police members search a truck during an intelligence-driven operation near Zamdela, where hundreds of boxes of illicit cigarettes were uncovered. PHOTO: Supplied"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-millions-found-stashed-in-truck-traveling-along-r57\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Illicit cigarettes worth millions found stashed in truck traveling along R57"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/","name":"BloemNuus","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization","name":"BloemNuus","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"BloemNuus"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bloemnuus"],"description":"BloemNews is a prominent newspaper in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province in South Africa. BloemNews serves the local community with coverage of regional news, events, and issues of interest. The newspaper provides updates on a variety of topics, including local politics, business, sports, and social matters, with a focus on the city and surrounding areas. Its publication is a reflection of Bloemfontein\u2019s vibrant community, catering to both English and Afrikaans-speaking readers. It also serves as an important platform for local advertising, businesses, and public announcements. In Bloemfontein, BloemNews is often considered a key source of information.","email":"bloemnuus@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"051-4047600","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/f74825a3271e304decd9bb0086c6af13","name":"VrystaatKroon","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/db8d32fe3b8afd81fe8a56f2569041900de6ac3ca727d9318273beb22736cb10?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/db8d32fe3b8afd81fe8a56f2569041900de6ac3ca727d9318273beb22736cb10?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/db8d32fe3b8afd81fe8a56f2569041900de6ac3ca727d9318273beb22736cb10?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"VrystaatKroon"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/author\/vrystaatkroon\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-Sasolburg.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":301191,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/fs-cops-fingered-in-missing-cash-in-transit-money-20230703\/","url_meta":{"origin":308390,"position":0},"title":"FS cops fingered in missing cash-in-transit money","author":"BloemNews Express","date":"5 July 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Five police officers in the Free State are in court regarding large amounts of missing cash recovered during a heist in which one officer was killed in February last year. The officers are facing charges of theft, defeating the ends of justice, and m","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/04a1fad5df814ffcad20c8ceeb5a5152.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/04a1fad5df814ffcad20c8ceeb5a5152.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/04a1fad5df814ffcad20c8ceeb5a5152.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/04a1fad5df814ffcad20c8ceeb5a5152.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":301169,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/hawks-probing-million-rand-heist-involving-fs-cops-20230705\/","url_meta":{"origin":308390,"position":1},"title":"Hawks probing million rand heist involving FS cops","author":"BloemNews Express","date":"5 July 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The Free State Hawks` Serious Corruption Investigation unit is continuing its investigation into police officers\u2019 involvement in missing cash-in-transit money. The money in question was recovered during an armed robbery which occurred early February","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/01746a40f9db4ed0855c2c80bbdbead4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/01746a40f9db4ed0855c2c80bbdbead4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/01746a40f9db4ed0855c2c80bbdbead4.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/01746a40f9db4ed0855c2c80bbdbead4.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":268234,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-led-inter-provincial-border-operation-leads-to-discovery-of-fake-goods-worth-over-r7-5-m-in-transit\/","url_meta":{"origin":308390,"position":2},"title":"Police-led inter-provincial border operation leads to discovery of fake goods worth over R7.5 m in transit","author":"Teboho Setena","date":"24 August 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A multi-disciplinary police-led inter-provincial cross-border leads to discoveries, fake cigarettes and suspected stolen goods.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/A-police-officer-during-by-a-truck-during-a-multi-disciplinary-police-led-inter-provincial-cross-border-operation-in-Colesberg.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/A-police-officer-during-by-a-truck-during-a-multi-disciplinary-police-led-inter-provincial-cross-border-operation-in-Colesberg.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/A-police-officer-during-by-a-truck-during-a-multi-disciplinary-police-led-inter-provincial-cross-border-operation-in-Colesberg.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/A-police-officer-during-by-a-truck-during-a-multi-disciplinary-police-led-inter-provincial-cross-border-operation-in-Colesberg.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44710,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/cross-border-crime-kept-in-check-by-exposing-money-laudering-of-r57-million-20240228\/","url_meta":{"origin":308390,"position":3},"title":"Cross-border crime kept in check by exposing money laundering of R57 million","author":"BloemNews","date":"28 February 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Collaboration to curb cross-border crime between South Africa and Lesotho grew with leaps and bounds with the arrest of two people accused in a case of money laundering amounting to about R57 million.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0cf2661b92264417b86215de26695c02.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0cf2661b92264417b86215de26695c02.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0cf2661b92264417b86215de26695c02.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0cf2661b92264417b86215de26695c02.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":304730,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/five-sandf-soldiers-two-zimbabweans-due-in-court-over-illicit-cigarette-smuggling\/","url_meta":{"origin":308390,"position":4},"title":"Five SANDF soldiers, two Zimbabweans due in court over illicit cigarette smuggling","author":"Teboho Setena","date":"18 September 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"SANDF soldiers are among seven suspects arrested for allegedly smuggling illicit cigarettes","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Crime-1-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Crime-1-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Crime-1-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Crime-1-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Crime-1-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42297,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/illicit-cigarettes-worth-an-estimated-r19-m-confiscated-in-bloemfontein-20241025\/","url_meta":{"origin":308390,"position":5},"title":"Illicit cigarettes worth an estimated R1,9 m confiscated in Bloemfontein","author":"BloemNews","date":"25 October 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"A tactical response team of the Parkweg SAPS reacted to information about a warehouse used to store illicit cigarettes and arrested a 41-year-old foreign national in the Bloemfontein CBD.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/e7375e33bcbb41408b4d32bfa89e58c3.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/e7375e33bcbb41408b4d32bfa89e58c3.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/e7375e33bcbb41408b4d32bfa89e58c3.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/e7375e33bcbb41408b4d32bfa89e58c3.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/e7375e33bcbb41408b4d32bfa89e58c3.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"VrystaatKroon","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/78"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=308390"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":308395,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308390\/revisions\/308395"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/308391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=308390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=308390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=308390"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=308390"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=308390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}