A 36-year-old man is on Wednesday expected to appear before the Musina Magistrate’s Court after he was arrested for possession of stolen vehicle, a white Mercedes Benz sedan.
Limpopo police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, said the 36-year-old was arrested on Tuesday, while he was allegedly driving towards the Beitbridge border with Zimbabwe.
“On Tuesday, July 16, at around 2am, members of Beitbridge port of entry were busy conducting a stop and search operation along the N1 north when a white Mercedes Benz motor vehicle stopped next to the Shell Ultra City filling station,” said Ledwaba.
“The motor vehicle was driven by a 36-year-old male who was asked about the driver's licence, identity document and proof of ownership of the motor vehicle but he failed to produce them.”
The German vehicle was then searched and police discovered three different number plates with Gauteng registrations.
Afterwards, members of the police’s vehicle inspection and safeguarding unit (VIS) were summoned to the scene.
The Mercedes Benz was positively identified as stolen from its rightful owner at the Kwa-Thema policing area in Gauteng. The vehicle was reported stolen earlier this month.
“The 36-year-old male suspect was subsequently apprehended on the spot for possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle. Upon further investigation, police discovered that the suspect was in the country illegally and a charge of contravention of Immigration Act was also added,” said Ledwaba.
The recovered motor vehicle was seized during the arrest.
The suspect is expected to appear before the Musina Magistrate Court on Wednesday July 17.
On Monday, IOL reported that a 38-year-old man was arrested in Limpopo for the possession of another Mercedes Benz sedan. The recovered vehicle was hijacked in Pretoria West.
Ledwaba said the accused was arrested on Sunday, by a law enforcement team made up of the Limpopo provincial flying squad and the Waterberg flying squad officers.
“The vigilant police officers were conducting routine patrols along the N1 South public road when they received a tip-off regarding a silver Mercedes Benz that had allegedly been hijacked in Pretoria West. The vehicle was believed to be en-route to Zimbabwe for smuggling purposes,” Ledwaba said.
He added that officers acted quickly on the information received and intercepted the vehicle at the Sasol Zebediela petrol station.
“The 38-year-old driver failed to produce the ownership documents for the motor vehicle, leading to his immediate arrest on the scene for the possession of a suspected stolen vehicle,” he said.
IOL