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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
South African police have recovered another sleek vehicle which was being smuggled from that country into Zimbabwe through the Limpopo River, as they intensify the fight against irregular migration and smuggling along the border line. The vehicle, a new shape Mercedes Benz C220 brings to five the total number of vehicles which have been recovered by the police within seven days on their way to Zimbabwe. It is reported that the car was being pulled across the river by donkeys on Monday afternoon.

Limpopo police spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said further investigations were in progress.

He said all the vehicles were recovered during “Operation Vala Madi”, which is being jointly implemented by the police’s Crime Intelligence, Tactical Response Team, Public Order Police, and the K9, supported by the South Africa’s Defence Forces.

He added that the smuggling of goods and vehicles was rampant along the Limpopo River. Said Brigadier Mojapelo; “A New shape Mercedes Benz sedan C220 was intercepted just in time before disappearing into Zimbabwe.

“The suspects were using donkeys to pull the car across the river but our members were just in time to pounce on them, after the donkeys were apparently no longer able to pull it through the sand. They (suspects) fled into the bushes towards the Zimbabwean side and investigations are in progress”.

Last Thursday, the same team arrested a 28-year-old man whom they caught smuggling another stolen Mercedes Benz near the Panda Mine area of Beitbridge on the South African side of the border.

Brigadier Mojapelo said most of the intercepted vehicles belong to rental companies. He said in the same week they also recovered three other vehicles along the N1 Highway, north of Musina town during the same operation.

These, he said include an Audi A6 (valued at R400 000), one Mercedes Benz C180, worth R380 000 and one Datsun Go (valued at R90 000).

“The operation (Vala Madi) is targeted at the areas along the borderline between Phafuri, Beitbridge and Pont Drift.

“In the success similar to the one in which the Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nneke Ledwaba intercepted a stolen vehicle that was being pulled by donkeys in the middle of Limpopo River during December last year.

“We managed to recover a vehicle that got stuck in the middle of the same river. The operation also yielded good results when a splash Range Rover valued at R900 000 was intercepted en-route to Malawi.

“The driver was arrested and found with R30 000 in his possession. The vehicle was on the verge of crossing to Zimbabwe.”

The smuggling of stolen vehicles from South Africa is rampant along the Limpopo River. The Herald is reliably informed that most of the stolen vehicles are destined for Malawi and Tanzania, where there is an alleged ready market.

In 2012 Zimbabwean police smashed a well-orchestrated car smuggling syndicate near the Panda Mine area and arrested seven Malawians and recovered five top-of-the-range vehicles.

The vehicles include two Toyota Fortuners, one Nissan Navara, Toyota High Rider and a Toyota Vigo all worth R4 million.