Five members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), as well as two Zimbabwean nationals, have been arrested on allegations of corruption and theft.
According to the SANDF, the group allegedly intercepted and stole a consignment of illicit cigarettes being smuggled into the country at the Sediba sa Tlou base in Artonvilla, near Musina, on Tuesday.
In a statement on Wednesday, the SANDF said preliminary reports indicated that the group conducted an unauthorised midnight raid where they allegedly fired shots, forcing the apparent smugglers to abandon 24 boxes of illicit cigarettes.
“It is alleged that the members, acting in concert with two Zimbabwean nationals, attempted to unlawfully intercept a group of smugglers transporting illicit cigarettes into South Africa,” said the SANDF.
