An army member was arrested in the Seshego area of Limpopo and a huge shipment of cigarettes was found in the army vehicle he was driving.
The person was arrested on Sunday after a hint that the vehicle was being used to smuggle cigarettes during the isolation period, said Col. Army spokesman Ronald Maseko said.
The sale of cigarettes is prohibited in accordance with the level 4 and level 3 isolation regulations. South Africa switched to level 3 on Monday.
Military police members followed up the tip and tracked down the suspect and arrested for possession of suspected illegal cigarettes.
Maseko said the suspect has yet to appear in court.
Many law enforcement officers have been involved in the alleged smuggling of liquor and cigarettes over the past few weeks and thousands of people have been arrested or fined for violations of the seclusion regulations. The ban on the sale of alcohol has since been lifted.