Repeat offender arrested with stolen R400,000 vehicle allegedly headed for Beitbridge - IOL

A suspected car thief lies in front of the vehicle he is suspected of stealing. Police intercepted the stolen Chery Omoda on the N1 in Polokwane as it was being driven towards the Beitbridge Port of Entry.

A 25-year-old man who was previously arrested for driving a stolen luxury vehicle towards the Beitbridge border post has been arrested again after police intercepted him in Polokwane with another stolen vehicle worth about R400,000.

The South African was arrested on Friday during an intelligence-driven operation involving the Limpopo Provincial Tracking Team, Provincial Investigation Unit and private security companies.

Police said the silver Chery Omoda had been stolen in Sandton, Gauteng, and was believed to be heading towards the Beitbridge Port of Entry to be smuggled out of South Africa when it was stopped.

The operation was launched after teams received intelligence about a suspected stolen vehicle travelling from Gauteng towards Beitbridge.

Police, supported by ShadowSecure Security, Limpopo Tactical Security, and Tshimollo Security and Investigations, monitored the vehicle before intercepting it on the N1 near Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

“The teams received information that a suspected stolen vehicle was travelling from Gauteng towards Beitbridge, allegedly with the intention of being smuggled out of the country,” police said.

Preliminary investigations subsequently established that the Chery Omoda, valued at approximately R400,000, had been reported stolen in Sandton.

The 25-year-old driver was arrested at the scene.

Further investigations revealed that the man had been caught in similar circumstances just six months earlier.

Police said he was arrested at the Kranskop Tollgate in March while driving a stolen Range Rover towards Beitbridge.

'He was subsequently granted bail by the Modimolle Magistrate’s Court," police said.

The man is expected to appear in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court soon, facing charges of possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle, driving without a valid driver’s licence and fraud relating to allegedly false registration plates displayed on the vehicle.

Limpopo Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Jan Scheepers welcomed the arrest and commended police and private security teams for their efforts to disrupt the movement of stolen vehicles towards the province’s borders.