Mpumelelo Goba (45) was sentenced to seven years imprisonment on Friday for theft of a motor vehicle – half of which is suspended for five years on condition he isn’t found guilty of a similar offence.

Goba was charged with stealing a vehicle worth more than R700 000 from Durban central in August 2025.

He was arrested by the National Task Team deployed to Emanguzi to combat cross-border crimes.

He was convicted and sentenced by the Mtubatuba Regional Court after pleading guilty to the charge.

On the day of the incident, police operationalised information circulated about a Toyota Fortuner stolen from a Durban parking lot. They intercepted the vehicle with false registration plates.

It was en-route to Emanguzi to be handed over to another driver who would then smuggle it into Mozambique.

Since April 2025 to date, Emanguzi Task Team has arrested 96 suspects for various offences, seized 16 illegal firearms, and recovered 67 vehicles as well as one truck.

The team is dedicated to combating cross-border crimes in northern KZN and surrounding areas, specifically focusing on vehicle theft and smuggling, robbery, carjacking, illegal possession of firearms, murder, attempted murder and robbery.

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