Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
A South African police constable attached to Beitbridge Port of Entry and his girlfriend have been arrested in Musina on charges of unlawful possession of ammunition, in a case police say is linked to a wider cross-border vehicle smuggling syndicate operating between South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Constable Welcome Moyo (32) and his girlfriend, Dikeledi Mulea (22), appeared before the Musina Magistrate’s Court on Friday (October 30), and were remanded in custody until November 11 for a formal bail application.
The arrest has once again put the Beitbridge-Musina corridor in the spotlight as a key route for multinational criminal syndicates involved in vehicle theft, smuggling, and moving illicit goods across the Limpopo.
Police sources say syndicates operating in the region typically involve South African and Zimbabwean nationals, including rogue law enforcement officers, clearing agents, mechanics and middlemen who facilitate the theft, cloning, re-registration and smuggling of vehicles stolen in South Africa into Zimbabwe and beyond.
Stolen vehicles, police say, are often stripped of their original identity, with engine and chassis numbers tampered with, number plates changed, and fake documents produced, before being driven across the border through official ports or illegal crossing points along the Limpopo River.
Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said in the latest case, members of the Vhembe District Trio Crimes Task Team, acting on information about a syndicate allegedly involved in smuggling vehicles into Zimbabwe in which Moyo was allegedly implicated, obtained a search warrant to search a room allegedly occupied by the constable at Matswale Phase 04 in Musina on October 28.
“Upon arrival, the police found Mulea, who identified herself as Moyo’s girlfriend. Moyo was not present,” he said.
“A search of the room allegedly led to the discovery of 33 live 9mm rounds of ammunition, a brand not issued by the South African Police Service (SAPS), two live rifle rounds, two empty 9mm cartridges, two empty rifle cartridges, and two empty 9mm magazines.
“Other items seized included cash, a drone, a speed point device, a hand-radio, a stethoscope, and a SAPS docket cover.”
Brig Mashaba said the police also discovered two motor vehicles allegedly belonging to the constable – a silver Audi and a grey Toyota Camry and that both vehicles were allegedly found to have engine numbers tampered with.
The vehicles, he said, were seized by the Musina Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit (VCIU) and an enquiry was opened for further investigation.
Mulea was arrested at the scene for unlawful possession of ammunition, while Moyo later handed himself over to Musina Police on the following day and was subsequently arrested.
The case comes amid intensified joint operations by Zimbabwean and South African authorities to curb cross-border crime at Beitbridge – Africa’s busiest inland port – where police on both sides have in recent months reported seizures of stolen vehicles, controlled medicines, drugs and undeclared goods.
In Zimbabwe, ZIMRA, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the Zimbabwe National Army, Immigration and the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe have been conducting joint patrols, vehicle searches, drone surveillance and intelligence sharing under Operation ‘No to Cross Border Crimes’.
South African authorities have also stepped up operations in Limpopo Province, targeting trio crimes – carjacking, house robbery and business robbery – which often feed the cross-border vehicle smuggling market.
It is also understood that the stolen vehicles are being taken to Malawi and Mozambique, while some end up in Zimbabwe. Some are also being shipped into Lesotho.
In some instances, most of these cars are allegedly being stolen from rental cars in South Africa while thefts are orchestrated by insurance fraud syndicates in that country.
On insurance fraud, the vehicles are clandestinely sold and smuggled out of South Africa, after which their owners, working with syndicates, report them stolen and claim insurance money.
