Two men accused of being in possession of a stolen luxury vehicle worth more than R2.1 million have been remanded in custody after appearing before the Modimolle Magistrate's Court.
Pontsho Mahule (26) and Neo Trinity Masoha (27) were arrested on Wednesday, February 25, after police intercepted a white Range Rover along the N1 North near the Kranskop filling station in Limpopo.
The vehicle had been flagged by a tracking company after it was reported stolen earlier this month at Bramley Police Station.
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said officers received information at about 6pm that the suspected stolen vehicle, bearing Gauteng registration plates, was travelling towards Limpopo.
“An operation was activated, which led to the vehicle being intercepted at Kranskop filling station, and two male suspects were arrested for possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle,” said Ledwaba.
Further investigation confirmed the vehicle had been reported stolen in Gauteng during February.
The pair briefly appeared in court on Friday, February 27, and remained in custody. They are expected to return to the Modimolle Magistrate’s Court on March 5 for a formal bail application.
The arrest of the two suspects comes as Limpopo intensifies its crackdown on cross-border vehicle smuggling, an issue The Star previously reported on amid a surge in stolen cars being trafficked out of the province.
In a separate but related breakthrough, the Mankweng Magistrate's Court recently sentenced a 35-year-old foreign national, Kenias Chimbwanda to 12 years’ imprisonment for contravening the Immigration Act and possession of a stolen white Toyota Prado VX valued at R900 000.
The vehicle, stolen in Gauteng and destined to be smuggled into Zimbabwe, was recovered during a coordinated anti-smuggling operation in the Capricorn District.
Ledwaba said intelligence-driven operations and multi-agency cooperation remain key in dismantling cross-border vehicle smuggling networks, warning that offenders will face the full might of the law.
The Star
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