Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
Cross border car smuggling syndicates who had in the last few months abandoned the Zimbabwe and South Africa border following a crackdown by security authorities in both countries have started resurfacing.
At the height of the crack down the syndicates shifted their route to the South Africa and Botswana border.
It is understood that the stolen vehicles are being taken to Malawi, Mozambique while some end up in Zimbabwe. Some are also being shipped into Lesotho.
South African police in Limpopo province have been arresting a number of suspects with stolen cars heading to Zimbabwe via illegal crossing point.
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malasela Ledwaba said they arrested another 24-year-old South African man with a Toyota Prado worth nearly R1 Million that he was taking to Zimbabwe via an illegal crossing point.
He said the man was arrested early on Thursday morning during an intelligence-driven anti-smuggling operation.
Col Ledwaba said the vehicle had been reported stolen in Gauteng province.
“The relentless efforts by law enforcement agencies to disrupt cross-border vehicle smuggling syndicates yielded positive results after a stolen luxury vehicle was intercepted and a suspect arrested during an intelligence-driven anti-smuggling operation conducted in Limpopo on Thursday”, he said.
“Members of the Provincial Tracking Team and Provincial Investigation Unit, working in collaboration with Limpopo Tactical Response Teams and Tshimollo Security and Investigations, acted swiftly on information received during the early hours of Thursday, regarding a vehicle reportedly stolen in Gauteng and allegedly being transported towards the Beitbridge Port of Entry for possible smuggling out of the country.
“The operational team immediately deployed and maintained observation along the R101 South within the Westernburg policing precinct. The suspicious vehicle was subsequently spotted travelling at high speed. The driver ignored police instructions to stop, prompting a high-speed pursuit.”
He said the chase ended at the intersection of the R101 and R519 roads, where the operational team successfully forced the vehicle to a halt and apprehended the driver.
Col Ledwaba said preliminary investigations established that the recovered vehicle, a Toyota Prado VX Series valued at approximately R900 000, had been reported stolen in Benoni, Gauteng, on Saturday (30 May).
He said a 24-year-old South African man was arrested at the scene and was expected to appear before the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Friday, facing charges of possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle; reckless and negligent driving; and driving without a valid driver’s licence.
The smuggling of goods is rife between the two countries where the Limpopo river forms the natural barrier and boundary.
Common smuggled goods between Zimbabwe and South Africa include cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, stolen vehicles, explosives, and various basic commodities like food and clothing, often moved to avoid high duties or due to shortages in Zimbabwe, while valuable minerals like gold are smuggled from Zimbabwe, with major hotspots being the Beitbridge border.
