A Toyota Corolla Cross stolen in Krugersdorp has been recovered during a joint anti-smuggling operation in Limpopo after it was allegedly being driven towards the Beitbridge Port of Entry.

The operation, conducted in the early hours of July 21, involved the Provincial Tracking Team, the Provincial Investigation Unit, Limpopo Tactical and several private security companies.

According to Gauteng provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Dimakatso Sello, police received information that the vehicle stolen in Krugersdorp was allegedly being transported towards the border with the intention of smuggling it out of the country.

Officers monitored the N1 North in the Makhado policing area, where they spotted the vehicle. The driver allegedly failed to stop when instructed, resulting in a high-speed chase before the vehicle was eventually brought to a halt.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the vehicle, a white Toyota Corolla Cross GR Sport valued at about R600 000, had been reported stolen in the Krugersdorp policing area on July 17,” said Sello.

The driver, a 44-year-old Zimbabwean national, was arrested.

He is expected to appear in the Makhado Magistrate’s Court on charges of possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle, as well as reckless and negligent driving.