NELSPRUIT – Police in Tonga recovered three stolen vehicles in two separate incidents last night, Wednesday 30 November 2022, during routine patrols at Mangweni.

Through preliminary investigation it was established that the vehicles recovered in the first incident, two Toyota GD6 bakkies, were reportedly stolen in Hartbeespoort in the North West Province and in Brooklyn, Pretoria in Gauteng Province respectively.

In a separate incident, Tonga police members recovered another suspicious vehicle, a Ford Ranger Raptor, also reported stolen in Ekurhuleni, Boksburg North, Gauteng.

In both incidents, the drivers of the vehicles have managed to evade arrest however, police have since detained a 34-year-old local male for questioning on suspicion that he was escorting the Ford Ranger Raptor, driving a VW Polo.

The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela commended Tonga police members for their vigilance. The General added that police in Mpumalanga will do their best to intercept the free movement of stolen vehicles in the province and more efforts to get those behind smuggling of stolen vehicles out of the country are top on the priority list.

Source: South African Police Service