Fortuners stolen left and right, suspects let go
While Fortuners get stolen left, right and centre, those found in possession of them are simply let go by the courts.
The recent withdrawal of cases against two suspects found in possession of suspected stolen vehicles in the Limpopo District continues to thwart the efforts by law enforcement to ensnare a car smuggling syndicate.
While Middelburg has lately been besieged by auto thefts, with car thieves preying on Fortuner drivers, two suspects have recently been caught in possession of stolen Fortuners, among other vehicles, in Limpopo.
Janine Saayman from the Observer Daller recently wrote that the Groblersdal Magistrate’s Court withdrew a case against a suspect who was caught in possession of a stolen vehicle after a tracking company detected the signal of a hijacked Toyota Landcruiser VX in the Dennilton area.
A BOLO (be-on-the-lookout) was shared with the SAPS and local security companies, and Loskop Alarms intercepted the stolen VX on the R25 at the Groblersdal T-junction.
The suspect was handed over to the police and charged with possession of an alleged stolen vehicle on September 24.
During the suspect’s third court appearance this week, the Department of Home Affairs confirmed that the suspect’s passport was falsified and that he is an illegal immigrant.
The suspect, identified as Emmanuel Dube by the counterfeit passport, appeared on Monday and the case against him was withdrawn after the State Prosecutor stated that a private security company may not pull over a vehicle suspected to be linked to any kind of crime, nor may they bring arrests into effect or search a vehicle.
Johann Fischer, Operational Manager of Loskop Alarms, said that the stolen VX was picked up by the rural safety camera systems and that the vehicle was flagged as stolen by eNATIS.
“The suspect has already been charged for possession of a suspected stolen vehicle and is an illegal immigrant. How can the case just be withdrawn?” Fischer asked.
• Janine Saayman for the Observer Daller further reported last week of another suspect found in possession of a suspected stolen vehicle, whose case was also withdrawn.
The 35-year-old South African citizen from Springs was arrested on October 31 in the Mokopane Policing District by the provincial tracking unit through the assistance of the private security sector.
According to Brig. Hlulani Mashaba, Provincial SAPS spokesperson, police received information about a silver/grey Toyota Fortuner which was stolen in Benoni on October 25.
The vehicle was intercepted on the N1 en route from Johannesburg to the Beitbridge border post.
Preliminary information found that the suspect was arrested in Marble Hall last year for allegedly attempting to smuggle a stolen Toyota Fortuner to Zimbabwe, and those charges were also withdrawn.
It was also alleged that the suspect was successful in smuggling a stolen Toyota Fortuner into Zimbabwe a week prior to his arrest.
Moreover, Brig. Mashaba stated that information confirmed the suspect’s connection to another suspect, who was arrested in September for possession of a stolen Toyota Hilux, which he was also allegedly attempting to smuggle into Zimbabwe.
Also read:
