In a recent development, the regional court in Mokopane, Limpopo, has handed down a six-year jail sentence to a 35-year-old man convicted of possessing a stolen motor vehicle. Shane Mthombeni, a South African citizen, was apprehended while driving a silver Toyota Fortuner at Nyl Toll Plaza along the N1 Highway on October 30, according to Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba, the provincial police spokesperson in Limpopo.
Mthombeni’s arrest resulted from the coordinated efforts of the Limpopo police’s provincial tracking team and a private security company, who acted on gathered information suggesting that the vehicle was en route from Gauteng province along the N1 highway to Beitbridge port of entry, with intentions of being smuggled into Zimbabwe.
Charges of possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle were promptly filed against Mthombeni and transferred to the vehicle investigation unit for further handling. Preliminary investigations uncovered that the popular Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) had been hijacked in Benoni on October 25.
During court proceedings, Mthombeni chose not to apply for bail. Subsequently, the court in Limpopo not only found him guilty but also declared him unfit to possess a firearm. Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, the provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, commended the law enforcement team for their “outstanding performance” and expressed satisfaction with the sentence imposed on Mthombeni. Hadebe emphasized that the conviction and sentencing would serve as a deterrent to potential car thieves.