South African man jailed for attempting to smuggle stolen Toyota Hilux to Zimbabwe
A 34-year-old man, Solomon Chiloane, has appeared before the Mokopane Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo, after he was arrested for possession of a suspected stolen vehicle.
The case against Chiloane was postponed to 29 July 2025 for further investigations, while he was remanded in custody.
Chiloane was arrested after police in Limpopo received information about a stolen Toyota Hilux bakkie. The vehicle was reported stolen on Saturday around the Lyttleton policing area in Tshwane.
“On Monday, information was received about the bakkie that was reportedly driven from Gauteng province along the R101 public road headed to Limpopo province,” said provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba.
The Limpopo anti-smuggling task team and private security companies sprang into action and a joint operation was activated.
The bakkie was positively spotted entering the town of Mokopane, and it was intercepted and searched.
“A 34-year-old male driver could not provide a satisfactory response about the origin of the white Toyota Hilux bakkie, valued at more than R700,000, and was immediately placed under arrest on the spot for possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle,” said Ledwaba.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the bakkie was intended to be illegally smuggled to Zimbabwe.”
Police in Limpopo said they have established that Chiloane is a South African national.
Meanwhile, the provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has welcomed Chiloane’s arrest and the recovery of the stolen vehicle.
“This collaboration between police and private security has proven from time to time that working jointly we can achieve more in combating the organized syndicate targeting vehicle smuggling,” said Hadebe.
On Tuesday, IOL reported that a 48-year-old Zimbabwean man, Stephen Nyoni, has been remanded in custody after appearing in a Limpopo court for possessing a stolen vehicle.
The high-performance luxury sport utility vehicle, valued at over R2.5 million, was intercepted during a targeted anti-smuggling operation.
The anti-crime blitz was conducted by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Limpopo in collaboration with private security partners along the N1 highway near Polokwane.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL News