How SAPS cracked a vehicle-smuggling chain moving cars from KZN to Mozambique
The recovered vehicles included 11 bakkies, seven sport utility vehicles, a minibus and a sedan.
Image: SAPS
Police in northern KwaZulu-Natal say they are continuing to make significant breakthroughs against vehicle smuggling syndicates operating along the border with Mozambique, recovering dozens of stolen cars in a series of recent operations.
The dedicated task team stationed in Emanguzi has intensified its work, intercepting stolen vehicles before they can cross the Kosi Bay border.
According to police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk, officers recovered 20 vehicles and arrested five suspected smugglers.
The vehicles included 11 bakkies, seven SUVs, a minibus, and a sedan, all recovered during separate intelligence-driven operations. Investigators found that the vehicles had been stolen across Durban Central, Durban North, Westville, Chatsworth, Pinetown and Umhlali.
The recovered vehicles include 11 bakkies, seven sport utility vehicles, a minibus and a sedan.
Image: SAPS
Latest interception near the Kosi Bay border
In the most recent takedown, police acted on information about a vehicle destined for Mozambique. Officers intercepted the car on 9 June 2025 and arrested a suspect who was carrying fraudulent border-crossing documents.
Preliminary findings suggest the suspect may be linked to vehicle insurance fraud. Police say investigations are still underway.
Van Wyk said a national intervention remains in place, combining SAPS units from crime intelligence, detectives and specialised operational teams to clamp down on cross-border crimes in the region. These crimes include motor-vehicle theft, business and house robberies, hijackings, and violent offences such as murder and attempted murder.
Successes reported in Limpopo’s smuggling corridor
Efforts to disrupt vehicle smuggling networks extend beyond KwaZulu-Natal. IOL reported last year that the anti-smuggling task team in Limpopo had been praised for its “exceptional dedication and performance” in intercepting stolen vehicles bound for the Beitbridge border with Zimbabwe.
Since its establishment in December 2023, the Limpopo task team — made up of specialised detectives — has consistently disrupted high-level smuggling operations. Working with private security companies and other stakeholders, officers seized high-powered 4x4 vehicles worth millions of rands.
Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said the team arrested 23 suspects and recovered 20 stolen vehicles valued at roughly R17 million. All had been robbed in Gauteng and were intercepted before reaching Beitbridge or alternative border routes.
National law enforcement focus on smuggling routes
Both provinces form part of key smuggling corridors used by organised syndicates operating across South Africa and its neighbouring states. Police say the operations in Emanguzi and Limpopo demonstrate the impact of intelligence-driven work and coordinated interventions in slowing the illegal flow of vehicles across borders.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL News