POLOKWANE – A 25-year-old South African man without a valid driver’s licence has been arrested in Polokwane after he was allegedly found driving a stolen vehicle towards the Beitbridge Border Post. This was his second arrest for a similar alleged crime after he had been arrested in March driving a stolen Range Rover towards Beitbridge.

The latest operation was conducted on Friday 25 September following intelligence received by the South African Police Service and private security partners.

Security 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. The teams maintained observation and intercepted a silver Chery Omoda on the N1 near Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

Preliminary investigations confirmed that the vehicle, valued at approximately R400 000, was reported stolen in Sandton, Gauteng. The suspect was immediately placed under arrest.

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Previous arrest and court appearance

Further investigation revealed that the suspect had previously been arrested in March this year at Kranskop Tollgate whilst allegedly driving a stolen Range Rover towards Beitbridge. He was subsequently granted bail by the Modimolle Magistrate’s Court.

The suspect is expected to appear before the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 28 September, facing charges of possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle, driving a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s licence, and fraud relating to allegedly false registration plates displayed on the vehicle.

The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Jan Scheepers, has welcomed the arrest and commended the operational teams and private security partners for their continued efforts to disrupt the movement of stolen vehicles towards the provincial borders. Members of the Provincial Tracking Team and Provincial Investigation Unit, supported by ShadowSecure Security, Limpopo Tactical Security, and Tshimollo Security and Investigations, were involved in the operation.

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