‘Hit them where it hurts’: Vehicles worth over R1.8 million forfeited to state
Five vehicles worth over R1.8 million have been forfeited to the state
Image: File picture
CRIMINALS operating across the Northern Cape are learning the hard way that crime doesn’t pay - especially when it comes to their wheels.
Five vehicles with a combined value of more than R1.8 million, including two trucks, have officially been forfeited to the state following a series of busts linked to environmental crimes, drug trafficking, and illegal gambling operations.
Hawks regional spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Tebogo Thebe said the order was recently granted by the Northern Cape Division of the High Court after successful applications by the Hawks’ Asset Forfeiture Investigation Unit in partnership with the National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit.
Among the confiscated vehicles was a nearly R1-million Isuzu truck intercepted near Upington in April 2024, when police discovered it loaded with protected plant species - a clear violation of environmental protection laws under the National Environmental Management Act (NEMBA).
In a separate incident in Groblershoop in May 2024, a Hyundai sedan worth R110,000 was seized after officers uncovered drugs and a stash of cash during a routine stop-and-search. Days later, border police intercepted a Mercedes-Benz sedan carrying hydroponic cannabis. The car, valued at R324,000, was also seized.
Another notable seizure took place in July 2024, when police in Philipstown discovered dagga and mandrax tablets hidden in a Toyota Corolla. The vehicle, worth R132,000, was impounded on the spot.
The oldest of the cases dates back to March 2023, when a truck transporting gambling machines without proper documentation was pulled over in Kuruman. The truck, worth R275,000, and the machines were confiscated pending further investigation.
Authorities say the forfeitures represent a strategic effort to disrupt criminal operations by targeting their assets, particularly high-value vehicles used to move contraband across the province.
The Hawks have also reaffirmed their commitment to stripping criminals of their ill-gotten gains and warned that further operations are already under way.
Provincial Hawks head Major-General Stephen Molefi Mabuela praised the dedicated efforts of the investigative teams.
“The plan is to hit criminals hard where it hurts and it seems to be working,” he added.