Zimbabwean man, Cosmos Ndou, 36, was convicted and sentenced to an effective eight years imprisonment for possession of a stolen motor vehicle and contravention of South Africa’s Immigration Act.
Ndou was sentenced on Friday in the Mokopane Regional Court in Limpopo, after he tried to smuggle a stolen Toyota Fortuner to neighbouring Zimbabwe, via the Beitbridge port of entry last year.
“The conviction and subsequent sentencing comes after the court heard that on September 18, the accused was found in possession of a stolen motor vehicle, a bronze Toyota Forturner that was reported stolen at Brooklyn policing area, in Gauteng province,” Limpopo police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said.
Ndou was found with the car in Limpopo, after it had been stolen two days earlier in Pretoria East.
“On September 18, the police arrested the suspect, after the security company at Mookgophong was alerted by tracking company to be on the lookout of the stolen vehicle that was coming at their direction, along R101 North,” said Ledwaba.
“The security (company) stopped the vehicle and found the driver, then explained to him that the vehicle was reported stolen. The police were quickly activated, and they immediately apprehended the suspect.”
The case was allocated to Sergeant Lesiba Teffo of Modimolle vehicle crime investigation unit (VCIU) for further investigation.
Ndou was subsequently found guilty and sentenced as follows: for possession of a stolen motor vehicle - six years imprisonment, and for contravention of the Immigration Act - two years imprisonment.
Meanwhile, provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has welcomed the court outcome and further commended the investigating officer and the security team which arrested Ndou for “a job well done”.
In November, IOL reported that the court in Mokopane convicted and sentenced a 35-year-old South African man after he was arrested while attempting to smuggle a stolen silver Toyota Fortuner to Zimbabwe.
At the time, Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said Shane Mthombeni was sentenced to six years of direct imprisonment, without the option to pay a fine.
“The court heard that the South African citizen, Shane Mthombeni was intercepted by police while driving a silver motor vehicle, a Toyota Fortuner at Nyl Toll Plaza along the N1 Highway on Monday, October 30,” Mashaba said.
Members of the Limpopo police’s provincial tracking team, in conjunction with a private security company operationalised information which had been gathered, and arrested the driver.
IOL