POLOKWANE - Police in the Thohoyandou area have arrested a man and recovered eight stolen trucks allegedly on the verge of being smuggled out of the country in what could be a breakthrough in shutting down a vehicle theft syndicate, Limpopo police said on Sunday.
"In our concerted efforts to relentlessly deal with incidents of theft of motor vehicles and the cross-border crimes in this province, the joint operations which were up and running until this morning [Sunday] continue to successfully crack the whip on syndicates of this crime categories," Lt-Col Moatshe Ngoepe said.
In the Levubu policing area outside Thohoyandou, a sting operation was conducted after a tip-off from members of the community on a motor vehicle theft syndicate operating from various provinces.
In the process of following the tracks of this syndicate, a 37-year-old man was arrested for possession of suspected stolen motor vehicles at Mashau Thenga village. During his arrest, five tipper trucks and three water tank trucks were recovered.
April 15 - Police in the Thohoyandou area in Limpopo have arrested a man and recovered eight stolen trucks allegedly on the verge of being smuggled out of the country in what could be a breakthrough in shutting down a vehicle theft syndicate. Photo: SAPS
These trucks were estimated to be worth about R24 million and the preliminary police investigations had revealed that they were stolen in other provinces and were allegedly en route to be smuggled out of the country. The origin of these trucks was still being determined through the ongoing police investigation. The suspect would appear in the Levubu Magistrate's Court soon and more arrests were expected, Ngoepe said.