A 44-year-old man is on Monday scheduled to appear in court after he was arrested by police in Limpopo for possession of a stolen vehicle, a Toyota Fortuner.
The arrest was effected on Thursday night after police were alerted about a stolen vehicle which was travelling along the R101 Road in the Gauteng province.
Provincial police spokesperson in Limpopo, Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba, said the popular sports utility vehicle was destined to be smuggled out of South Africa, through the Beitbridge port of entry.
“A joint operation was executed and a motor vehicle fitting the description was positively spotted driving at a high speed while passing Shell Ultra City filling station outside Polokwane,” said Mashaba.
“A car chase ensued between the suspect and operational teams until he (the motorist) was compelled to stop next to Polokwane traffic weighbridge.”
The driver of the Toyota Fortuner was then arrested on the spot.
Preliminary police investigations have revealed that the vehicle, valued around R900,000, was reported stolen in the Springs policing precinct in Gauteng province on Tuesday.
“The 44-year-old male suspect is expected to appear before the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Monday facing a charge of possession of suspected stolen motor vehicle, reckless and negligent driving,” said Mashaba.
In March, police in Limpopo recovered another Toyota Fortuner, valued at almost R1 million, which was reported stolen in Bedfordview, Johannesburg.
Two Malawian nationals appeared before the Polokwane Magistrate's Court, after they were arrested following a high-speed chase with police in Limpopo.
At the time, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the SUV was also heading towards the Beitbridge port of entry.
“Information was received about a possible stolen motor vehicle, a Toyota Fortuner 2.8 valued at R900,000, which was from Gauteng and was going to be smuggled to Malawi through the Beitbridge border post,” said Ledwaba.
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