Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
South African police in Limpopo province have arrested two migrants with two stolen vehicles worth over R1 million which they intended to smuggle into Botswana and Zimbabwe.
The two suspects aged 42 and 32 were arrested on Wednesday while driving towards the two countries’ borders.
Crosa border car theft syndicates including multi-nationals are in the habit of stealing vehicles from South Africa which they smuggle into Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and Eswatini through borders or illegal crossing points.
In most cases, the South Africans drive the cars to illegal crossing points where they them handover to migrants for further transportations to various countries.
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malasela Ledwaba said the two suspects were arrested were now in police custody.
The first suspect was arrested in the Mokopane area with a Toyota Corrolla worth R600, 000 that had been stolen in Gauteng province.
“The members of the Provincial Tracking Team in collaboration with Tshimollo private security company, and Shadowsecure security received intelligence information about a white Toyota Corolla cross coming from Gauteng province heading to Musina [Beitbridge border post] to be smuggled out of the country,” said Col Ledwaba
“The team members operationalized the information and maintained observation at Mokopane town.
“The vehicle matching the same description was spotted driving along R101 road to Mokopane, and it was intercepted. The driver failed to provide a satisfactory response on ownership of the vehicle. The vehicle was tested and found to be reported stolen on Tuesday, 11 November 2025, at Lenasia SAPS Gauteng province”.
He said man will appear before Mokopane Magistrate’s court on Friday facing charges of possession of suspected stolen motor vehicle.
In the second incident Col Ledwaba said the police in Groblersbridge Port of Entry arrested a 32-year-old migrant suspect for possession of suspected stolen motor vehicle worth thousands of Rands on the same day.
“It is reported that the suspect was arrested immediately after his arrival at the vehicle checkpoint port of entry, driving a white Toyota hilux GD6 trying to smuggle the vehicle to the nearby country (Botswana),” he said.
“The preliminary report indicates that the vehicle was reported stolen last month (October) at Olivenhoutbosh SAPS in Pretoria.
“The suspect was placed under arrest, and he will appear before Lephalale Magistrate’s court soon for possession of suspected stolen motor vehicle”.
Bongani Ndlovu