Mutale police have made what they believe to be a major breakthrough by arresting four people who were delivering Zimbabwean cigarettes worth more than half a million rand.

Police spokesperson Insp Tshilidzi Nyambeni confirmed that their Crime Prevention Team nabbed the four suspects, Jan Ntuli (44), Ngoni Nhau (33), Egnitius Mapaso (27), and Felix Khabeuruka (40), when they were found transporting 6 321 cartons of Zimbabwean cigarettes worth about R537 285, 00 along the Matavhela road.

The four suspects were arrested on Sunday morning at about 08:30 by the team which was patrolling the area. Nyambeni, who described the arrest as a major breakthrough, says the truck that is registered in Lesotho collected the cigarettes from Musina to Gauteng. Ntuli, who is believed to be from Germiston, was driving while the others, Nhau, Mapaso and Khabeuruka, all from Harare, Zimbabwe, were passengers.

Nyambeni says they have confirmed the suspects’ names from their passports. He also added that Ntuli has been going in and out of Zimbabwe for quite a long time. "We believe this is a major breakthough as these people have managed to evade the police from Musina up to here when we nabbed them," says Nyambeni.

The four suspects have appeared in the Mutale Magistrate’s Court on Monday and their case has been postponed to October 30, for a bail application.