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Crime Reporter
A Harare woman recently arrested together with her South Africa-based husband for allegedly stealing top-of-the range vehicles from Namibia and smuggling them into South Africa and Zimbabwe, has been freed on $20 000 bail.
Police yesterday said Sikholisiwe Zondo (27) of Hatfield, Harare, was released at the High Court on Tuesday.
Her arrest came after she and three men, including her husband, Brian Mabika (29), a Zimbabwean living in South Africa, were arrested in Mainway Meadows in southern Harare.
They were found in possession of a Range Rover Evoque (registration number HZ 33CN GP) and a Toyota Fortuner (JH 81 HR GP), worth a combined R1 million. The vehicles are suspected to have been stolen in Namibia before being smuggled to South Africa and then Zimbabwe aen route to Zambia.
The other two arrested were South African Mpswati Obed Lucar (33) and Zambian A. Kalengo (36).
It is alleged that in May, Zondo went to CE Car Rental in Namibia to hire the Toyota Fortuner which she promised to bring back. She then drove the vehicle to South Africa while in the company of the three other suspects.
There they tampered with the chassis numbers and fixed a fake registration number plate.
Investigations carried out by detectives from the CID vehicle theft squad led to the arrest of Zondo and it is suspected that the four are allegedly part of a syndicate stealing and then smuggling them to other countries for resale using fake documents.
The four was arrested following a tip off and the three men remain in custody as investigations continue.
Online Reporter