Two South African men, who were arrested last month while driving stolen vehicles towards Zimbabwe, were released on R1,000 bail each when they appeared in court.
Simphiwe Dhladhla, 32, and Siphiwe Sigasa, 31, were granted bail when they appeared before the Mankweng Magistrate's Court for possession of a stolen Toyota Fortuner and a Toyota Hilux GD-6 bakkie, Limpopo police spokesperson, Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said.
“The suspects were granted bail of R1, 000 each when they appeared in court. Their case was postponed to 28 July for further police investigations,” Mashaba responded to a query by IOL.
Last month, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba stated that the two men were arrested during an intense anti-smuggling operation conducted by police in the Capricorn District of Limpopo.
“This (operation was conducted) after members of Limpopo SAPS provincial anti-smuggling task team and Capricorn District flying squad unit received a tip-off about two vehicles that were to be smuggled out of the country, presumably to Zimbabwe, through the Beitbridge port of entry,” Ledwaba said at the time.
Subsequent to receiving the intelligence information, the police team swiftly responded and intercepted the two vehicles, a grey Toyota Fortuner 2.8 and a white Toyota Hilux GD-6 double cab.
The vehicles were spotted by the police driving along the R71 from Boyne in the Mankweng policing area towards Polokwane.
“The members stopped the two vehicles, and upon searching them, the drivers failed to produce the valid documents of the vehicles. Both vehicles were fitted with false registration number plates and false licence discs. The suspects were immediately arrested,” said Ledwaba.
Preliminary police investigations have revealed that the grey Toyota Fortuner 2.8, valued at R900,000 was reported stolen at Muldersdrift in Gauteng province on June 22.
Police said the white Toyota Hilux double cab, valued at R700,000, was found to have been reported stolen in Brooklyn, east of Pretoria, in Gauteng province. The Toyota Hilux was also reported stolen on June 22.
Last year, IOL reported that the regional court at Mokopane, in Limpopo, had convicted and sentenced a 35-year-old Shane Mthombeni who was arrested while driving a stolen Toyota Fortuner to Zimbabwe.
At the time, Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said Mthombeni, was sentenced to six years of direct imprisonment, without the option to pay a fine.
“The court heard that the South African citizen, Shane Mthombeni was intercepted by police while driving a silver motor vehicle, a Toyota Fortuner at Nyl Toll Plaza along the N1 Highway on Monday, October 30,” Mashaba said.
Members of the Limpopo police’s provincial tracking team, in conjunction with a private security company operationalised information which had been gathered, and arrested the driver.
IOL