A joint anti-smuggling operation led to the recovery of a vehicle reported stolen in Gauteng and the arrest of a 44-year-old Zimbabwean national in the Makhado policing area early on Tuesday, 21 July.
Police said officers acted on information that a vehicle allegedly stolen in the Krugersdorp policing area was being driven north on the N1. It was suspected of being taken to the Beitbridge border for possible smuggling out of South Africa.
Members of the Provincial Tracking Team and the Provincial Investigation Unit, supported by private security and vehicle-tracking companies, monitored the route before spotting the vehicle.
According to police, officers attempted to stop the driver, but he allegedly ignored their instructions and sped away, triggering a high-speed chase. The pursuit ended when police brought the vehicle to a stop.
Preliminary investigations identified the vehicle as a white Toyota Corolla Cross GR Sport, valued at about R600,000. Police said it had been reported stolen in the Krugersdorp policing area on Friday, 17 July.
The driver, a 44-year-old Zimbabwean national, was arrested at the scene. He is expected to appear in the Louis Trichardt Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 22 July, on charges of possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle and reckless or negligent driving.
Police said investigations were continuing to determine the full circumstances surrounding the alleged theft and the vehicle’s intended destination.