POLOKWANE – A collaborative anti-smuggling operation led to the recovery of a stolen Toyota Prado VX, valued at R1.2m, and the arrest of a male suspect (22) attempting to smuggle the vehicle into Zimbabwe.

The Limpopo police say the operation took place yesterday in the Solomondale and Sebayeng policing areas.

The operation, which included the Limpopo Tracking Team, Limpopo PIU, and private security companies, was initiated after intelligence was received about the vehicle, which was stolen in Gauteng.

“The team spotted the Prado on the R71, heading towards Mankweng. When the team tried to stop the vehicle, the driver sped off towards Solomondale. During a high-speed chase, the stolen vehicle crashed near the Solomondale railway line, colliding with a local principal’s car and the Prado was finally intercepted in nearby bushes. The principal was taken to the hospital for medical attention,” the Limpopo police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba’s, statement reads.

He adds that the vehicle was reported stolen in the Lyttelton policing area in Pretoria earlier the same day.

“The suspect will appear before the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court tomorrow (August 29) and faces charges of theft of a motor vehicle and reckless and negligent driving.”

The provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, applauds the successful operation, highlighting the effectiveness of coordinated efforts in combating cross-border vehicle smuggling.