Authorities across the Cape have had their hands full with shopkeepers and others violating South Africa’s lockdown regulations by illegally selling cigarettes. In the past week, officers have confiscated 918 loose cigarettes, 4 894 packs of cigarettes, 179 packs of tobacco and two and a half boxes of cigarettes.
“Our enforcement efforts…show that many shopkeepers continue to sell cigarettes. While one has an appreciation for the principle of supply and demand, the reality is that, for the moment, selling cigarettes is against the law, and shopkeepers are putting themselves at risk of arrest,” Mayco Member for Safety and Security JP Smith said to IOL.
A cyclist was caught leaving his home to buy cigarettes this week and the supplier that he purchased from was exposed as well.
“He was in clear violation of the lockdown regulations so they questioned him. He disclosed he went to buy cigarettes, at a shop. He showed them 3 packets of cigarettes in his possession,” Wayne Dyason, Law Enforcement Inspector at the City of Cape Town said.
“He led the officers to a cafe in Voortrekker road where the owner confirmed selling him the cigarettes. The 35-year-old owner was arrested for selling cigarettes. A huge of amount of cigarettes was found in the shop. 1475 packets of cigarettes were found on the premises to the value of R87 325.”
The cyclist was also fined R1000 for failing to stay in his home.
Picture: Supplied/City of Cape Town
