- Police have recovered 11 suspected stolen or hijacked vehicles during an operation in Pretoria.
- They were following up on information about a suspected recipient of stolen vehicles.
- The vehicles were discovered at three different addresses which included makeshift park-and-sell lots.
A police operation has led to the recovery of 11
suspected stolen and hijacked vehicles at three different premises in Pretoria.
On Tuesday, police pounced on the three addresses in Pretoria North, Montana and Sinoville, following up on information about a suspected recipient of stolen vehicles.
At the first address in Pretoria North, police found a makeshift park-and-sell facility and a number of vehicles.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said a Nissan NP200 that was reported stolen in Lyttleton in October, and a 5-Series BMW that was reported stolen in Soshanguve in November, were found and seized.
A Toyota Fortuner was also discovered and seized. Its vehicle identification number (VIN) had allegedly been tampered with.
"Four more vehicles were seized from the second address, the alleged receiver's home in Montana," Peters said.
The following vehicles were seized at the second address:
- a Renault Sandero that was reported stolen from Sunnyside earlier in December;
- an Audi A4 that was reported stolen in Temba earlier in December;
- a VW Polo that was reported stolen in Mamelodi in July 2017; and
- a Toyota Etios that was reported stolen in Brooklyn in November this year.
At the third address, another makeshift park-and-sell facility in Sefako Makgatho Drive, police seized four more vehicles:
- a Nissan NP200 that was reported stolen in Rietgat earlier this month;
- a Hyundai H11 that was reported stolen in Krugersdorp in July 2020;
- a Renault Kwid that was reported stolen in Soshanguve in October 2020; and
- a Hyundai H100. Its vehicle identification had allegedly been tampered with.
The alleged receiver of the vehicles, who is a Pakistani national, as well as his employer, a 47-year-old Zimbabwean national, were arrested during the operation.
Both men are expected to appear in the Pretoria North Magistrate's Court on Thursday on charges of possession of stolen and/or hijacked motor vehicles, Peters said.
Peters added that investigations were also under way to determine the men's status in the country.
Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela commended the police and private sector stakeholders who were part of the operation.
"Our biggest successes this past year, in response to our concerted efforts to reduce the high volumes of hijackings in the province, have emanated from our strengthened partnership with other law enforcement agencies and private stakeholders," Mawela said.
"We will therefore continue on this trajectory in our [efforts] to disrupt the market for stolen and hijacked vehicles that often come at the expense of the lives of innocent victims."
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