N11 cigarette bust ends in R1 million fine for Limpopo dealer

A 43-year-old man has been sentenced to a R1 million fine, part of it suspended, after being convicted of offences involving illicit cigarettes worth more than R1 million, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement issued through the Hawks.

Yusuf Muhammed Asmal was convicted on 13 October 2026 and sentenced on 21 October 2026 in the Polokwane Regional Specialised Commercial Crime Court. The court imposed a fine of R1 million or five years’ imprisonment. Of that amount, R300 000, or two years’ imprisonment, was suspended for five years, meaning he must not be convicted of possessing illicit cigarettes during that period. The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm.

The case began on 16 September 2021, when SAPS highway patrol officers stopped a vehicle driven by Asmal on the N11 road in Mahwelereng and searched it. Officers found 73 master cases, 49 cartons and five Remington packs of illicit cigarettes, with an estimated total value of more than R1 million. The cigarettes were seized, and Asmal was arrested and detained at Mahwelereng SAPS.

The investigation was carried out by the Hawks Polokwane Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team, and the case was transferred to the Polokwane Regional Specialised Commercial Crime Court.

Provincial Head of the Hawks in Limpopo, Major General (Adv.) Gobz Govender, said: “Illegal trade comes at a cost to our country. This sentence shows that those who break the law will be held accountable. The Hawks will continue to investigate these crimes and protect our economy.”

Enquiries on the case are directed to Colonel Avele Fumba on 082 569 8513. The statement was issued by the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks) and is available on the SAPS newsroom at https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=72024.