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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
South African police have arrested two men who were driving a stolen vehicle heading for an illegal crossing point along the Limpopo River as they intensify the crackdown on a cross border vehicle theft syndicate.

The pair of Haajibu Ken Issah (30) and Adam Alli (24) were arrested on Sunday afternoon along the N1 Highway between Musina and Makhado towns in South Africa. The suspects were nabbed by the South African police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit (the Hawks), Crime Intelligence and the SAPS Vehicle Identification Unit. Hawks spokesperson for Limpopo Province Captain Matimba Maluleke said the two suspects were believed to be part of a wider vehicle theft syndicate.

“They appeared briefly at the Makhado Magistrate Court on Monday, where their case was postponed to January 15 2018, pending further investigations,” said Capt Maluleke.

“Issah and Alli were caught allegedly driving a stolen vehicle on the N1 Road between Makhado and Musina, while en-route to Beitbridge.” Capt Maluleke said preliminary investigations revealed that the vehicle, a Toyota Fortuner, had been reported stolen at Wayville in Kwazulu Natal in December last year.

He said the car had been affixed with false registration plates and licence disc. The smuggling of cars between Zimbabwe and South Africa has become quite rampant, with the South African police recovering more than 20 vehicles stolen in the past six months. The stolen vehicles are usually destined for a ready market in Tanzania and Malawi, while others find their way to the local market.