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PHOTO: Gallo Images / Jaco Marais
- Police have recovered 11 vehicles suspected of theft or hijacking during an operation in Pretoria.
- They were tracking information about an alleged recipient of stolen vehicles.
- The vehicles were discovered in three different directions that included makeshift lots to park and sell.
A police operation has resulted in the recovery of 11 vehicles allegedly stolen and hijacked from three different facilities in Pretoria.
On Tuesday, police pounced on all three addresses in Pretoria North, Montana and Sinoville, following up on information about an alleged recipient of stolen vehicles.
At the first address in North Pretoria, the police found a makeshift facility for parking and selling and several vehicles.
Police spokesman Brig. Mathapelo Peters said that a Nissan NP200 that was reported stolen in Lyttleton in October and a BMW 5 Series that was reported stolen in Soshanguve in November were found and seized.
A Toyota Fortuner was also discovered and seized. His vehicle identification number (VIN) had allegedly been altered.
“Four more vehicles were seized from the second address, the alleged receiver’s Montana home,” Peters said.
The following vehicles were seized at the second address:
- a Renault Sandero that was reported stolen from Sunnyside in early December;
- an Audi A4 that was reported stolen in Temba in early December;
- a VW Polo that was reported stolen from Mamelodi in July 2017; Y
- a Toyota Etios that was reported stolen in Brooklyn in November of this year.
At the third address, another makeshift parking and vending facility on Sefako Makgatho Drive, the 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; Y
- a Hyundai H100. The vehicle identification had allegedly been altered.
The alleged recipient of the vehicles, who is a Pakistani national, as well as his employer, a 47-year-old citizen of Zimbabwe, were arrested during the operation.
Both men are expected to appear in Pretoria North Magistrates Court Thursday on charges of possessing stolen and / or hijacked motor vehicles, Peters said.
Peters added that investigations are also underway to determine the status of men in the country.
Gauteng Police Commissioner Lt. General Elias Mawela praised the police and private sector stakeholders who were part of the operation.
“Our greatest successes in the past year, in response to our concerted efforts to reduce the high volumes of kidnappings in the province, have come from our strengthened partnership with other law enforcement agencies and private stakeholders,” Mawela said.
“Therefore, we will continue on this path 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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