The driver thought he could fool cops on a roadblock by pretending he was resting after a long drive, but ended up behind bars.

Xhariep District members held a roadblock in the Rouxville area, stopping and searching vehicles. One member received intelligence-led information about a truck that made a sudden turn and stopped near one of the petrol garages.

The truck was tactically approached and the driver, who explained himself as a 42-year-old male, said he was from Gauteng and on his way to the Eastern Cape for a delivery. Members continued to search the truck and under the sails, 400 boxes of illicit cigarettes worth an estimated street value of R12 million were discovered.

The 42-year-old foreign national was arrested for possession of illicit cigarettes and the truck was also confiscated. He will make his first appearance at the Rouxville Magistrate Court today.