A 25-year-old South African man has been arrested in Polokwane with a stolen vehicle worth about R400,000, after police allegedly intercepted the car while it was being driven towards the Beitbridge border post.
Police said the silver Chery Omoda had been stolen in Sandton, Gauteng, and was allegedly being transported towards the Beitbridge Port of Entry with the intention of smuggling it out of South Africa.
The arrest was made on Friday during an intelligence-driven operation involving the Limpopo Provincial Tracking Team, Provincial Investigation Unit and private security companies.
Stolen Chery Omoda intercepted on N1
Investigators received information about a suspected stolen vehicle travelling from Gauteng towards Beitbridge.
Police teams, working with ShadowSecure Security, Limpopo Tactical Security, and Tshimollo Security and Investigations, monitored the vehicle before stopping it on the N1 near Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
Preliminary investigations reportedly confirmed that the Chery Omoda, valued at approximately R400,000, had been reported stolen in Sandton.
The driver was arrested at the scene.
Police said the intelligence indicated that the vehicle was allegedly destined for the border, where it could potentially be smuggled out of the country.
Suspect previously arrested with stolen Range Rover
Further investigation allegedly uncovered a striking similarity with an earlier case involving the same suspect.
Police said the man had been arrested six months earlier, in March, after allegedly being found driving a stolen Range Rover towards Beitbridge.
That arrest took place at the Kranskop Tollgate.
According to police, the suspect was subsequently granted bail by the Modimolle Magistrate’s Court.
The latest arrest now places him before the courts again over another alleged stolen vehicle.
Police allege false registration plates
The suspect is expected to appear in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court.
According to police, he faces charges including:
- Possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle
- Driving without a valid driver’s licence
- Fraud relating to allegedly false registration plates
The allegations have not yet been tested in court, and the accused remains entitled to the presumption of innocence.
Police praise joint operation
Limpopo Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Jan Scheepers welcomed the arrest and commended the police and private security teams involved in the operation.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to establish the circumstances surrounding the vehicle’s theft and its alleged intended movement towards the border.
The case also highlights the role of intelligence-led operations and cooperation between police and private security companies in intercepting vehicles suspected of being moved towards South Africa’s border crossings.
