The spokesperson for South African police in Limpopo in Vhembe District, Major Mashudu Malelo, said the suspects were arrested along the Makhado-Thohoyandou road during a police stop and search exercise.

It is suspected the cigarettes were smuggled into South Africa through undesignated entry points along the Limpopo River.
"We arrested four Zimbabweans after we intercepted their vehicle, a Mazda T35 truck, which was loaded with several cartons of cigarettes worth R100 000. We suspect the contraband was smuggled through undesignated entry points and we have since seized the cigarettes," he said.

Maj Malelo said they believed the suspects were operating as an organised smuggling syndicate involving several other suspects. 
He said they were continuing with investigations.

The suspects are expected to appear in court soon on smuggling charges.
Recently police in the neighbouring country intercepted another Zimbabwean truck, which was carrying 900 master cartons of cigarettes worth R2.2 million.

The cigarettes were smuggled out of the country through Beitbridge Border Post after the driver, a Zimbabwean, had falsely declared to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) that the tanker was empty.
Of late there has been an increase in the number of Zimbabweans being arrested in South Africa for smuggling cigarettes out of the country.

Some of the cigarettes are smuggled out of Zimbabwe through undesignated entry points along the crocodile infested Limpopo River while others find their way into South Africa through Beitbridge Border Post despite the presence of Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) scanners.

The machines are able to detect concealed goods in sealed containers.