A co-ordinated operation has led to the recovery of two deep-cloned stolen vehicles, exposing a sophisticated vehicle cloning operation in the Krugersdorp area.

The operation was a collaboration between Deka Specialized Services, the Insurance Crime Bureau (ICB) and Gauteng Traffic Wardens. According to Deka Specialized Services operations manager Dylan Swanepoel, the operation was initiated after a Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) system flagged a suspicious vehicle.

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He said that, acting on the alert, members conducted targeted investigations and successfully traced and secured the vehicle. Forensic analysis later confirmed it to be a deep clone linked to a previously reported theft.

Further investigations then led to the discovery of a second cloned vehicle in the possession of the same individual.

“This vehicle was also confirmed to be a deep-cloned stolen vehicle, highlighting the scale of the criminal activity,” he said.

Swanepoel added that both vehicles were seized and handed over to the police for further investigation.