POLOKWANE – A 39-year-old man will appear before the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Monday (March 18) on possession of a presumed stolen motor vehicle and possession of fraudulent documents charges.

The man, who has been linked to a cross-border smuggling ring, was arrested during an intelligence-driven operation led by the SAPS’ Anti-Smuggling Unit in the early hours of Friday morning (March 15).

Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said information was received about the male suspect driving an SUV that was allegedly hijacked in Randfontein, en route to Polokwane.

“The suspect was intercepted along the N1 South outside Polokwane. Preliminary investigations revealed that the vehicle was hijacked on March 12 and was meant to be smuggled into Zimbabwe through the Beitbrige Border Post,” he said.

Ledwaba added that the suspect is already facing a similar charge after he was recently caught trying to smuggle a stolen motor vehicle into Mozambique through the Lembobo Border Post.

“Further investigations are underway, and additional arrests have not been ruled out,” he said.

The provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe said the arrest sends a strong message to individuals involved in smuggling and other forms of organized crime that the SAPS, along with its partners, remains vigilant and committed to upholding the law.

“We will continue to disrupt the operations of criminal networks that threaten the economic stability and security of our country,” she said.