A 41-year-old Tanzanian man was arrested by the police from the Vehicle Investigation Section working in collaboration with officials from the South African International Crime Bureau. The arrest was effected about 10 kilometres from Carolina after the man was allegedly found driving a white Toyota Fortuner, which was reportedly stolen in Witbank n February 2023.
According to the spokesperson for provincial SAPS Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, the police were busy with their normal routine work when they spotted the suspicious vehicle, a white Toyota Fortuner.
“The smart members stopped and inspected the said vehicle, and upon further investigation they discovered that the car was in fact reported stolen in February this year. They then arrested the man and charged him with possession of suspected stolen property,”
“Upon searching inside the car, members were astonished to discover about 40 blank papers, which are usually used for issuing renewals, registrations, and vehicle certificates. This led police to believe that he could possibly be involved in dodgy dealings involving the theft of motor vehicles, which are somehow frequently smuggled out of the country,” he said.
Mohlala further said that when examining his passport, members were further convinced that he may be one of the suspects that police could have been looking for with regard to massive thefts of cars in the country. Part of the probe will also zoom in on how the man got hold of the said papers.
“Currently, he also faces a charge of fraud after the police discovered some alleged discrepancy in the papers that he possessed for the vehicle in question,” he said.
