Police crack down on sophisticated cross-border smuggling network
Police have dismantled what is believed to be 'one of the most sophisticated cross-border smuggling networks', seizing suspected stolen goods worth more than R3 million.
According to Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, during the early hours of Thursday, the Limpopo Anti-Smuggling Task Team intercepted a truck pulling trailers near the Polokwane weighbridge. The vehicle was en route from Cape Town to Malawi via the Beitbridge border post.
Following an extensive 18-hour operation and thorough search, the joint team recovered various car and motorcycle parts.
Among the parts were those of a Ford Ranger reported stolen in Nyanga last month and 60 disassembled motorcycles concealed in drums and containers, which were reported stolen from multiple Western Cape police stations, including Bellville, Mfuleni, Muizenberg, Nyanga, Milnerton, Sea Point, and Athlone.
'In addition, various electronic goods, including plasma TVs, sound systems, solar tower batteries, and cellphones, suspected to be stolen, were recovered. The Scania truck and trailers used in the smuggling operation were also seized as part of the investigation. The total value of recovered goods is over R3 million,' Ledwaba said.
Four men, aged 37 to 50, were arrested and will appear in the Polokwane Magistrate's Court on Monday on charges of possession of suspected stolen goods.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe said: 'This breakthrough represents a major victory against sophisticated criminal networks that have been exploiting our borders to traffic stolen goods. The collaboration between our Anti-Smuggling Task Team and private security partners demonstrates the power of coordinated law enforcement efforts. We will continue to target these criminal syndicates relentlessly until they are completely dismantled.'
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