Rustenburg - A 45-year-old man was arrested at the Oshoek port of entry between South Africa and eSwatini for possession of a stolen car, Mpumalanga police said.
Members of the border police arrested the man on Wednesday night while he was attempting to smuggle the stolen Nissan NP200 into eSwatini.
“According to the information, the astute members were busy with their normal duties at the border when they stopped the said vehicle with one occupant. This was followed by a search whereby the car was examined using SAPS electronic systems. It was then discovered that the vehicle was reportedly stolen at Boksburg in January 2022, hence the suspect was arrested and charged for possession of suspected stolen property,” Mpumalanga provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said.
“The male suspect is expected to appear at the Elukwatini Magistrate’s Court today, 29 December 2022, facing the said charges,” he said.
Mpumalanga provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela praised the members for their hard work and vigilance which resulted in the exceptional work achieved.
“We will continue to prevent the theft of motor vehicles and make recoveries whenever such vehicles happen to be stolen, even from other provinces, hence this great success that has been made," she said.
Earlier, IOL reported that the police seized the body structure of a white 2016 model Ford Ranger 2.2, 4x4 single-cab vehicle with Gauteng registration number plates at Oshoek port of entry.
According to Mohlala, the body structure of the car was being towed in a trailer by a white Ford Ranger double cab and it was reportedly heading to eSwatini when it was intercepted.
“The SAPS records do not indicate any information that suggests that the seized item was somehow stolen. However, preliminary investigation indicates that proper procedures with regard to selling of estate could have been disregarded as the owner is deceased, hence police have seized the body structure for further investigation,” he said.
IOL