News / National
4 Zimbabweans and 1 South African in court for stealing Land Cruiser
05 Sep 2024 at 07:54hrs | Views
Four local men and one South African national appeared in a Harare court charged with stealing a Toyota Land Cruiser in South Africa and smuggling it into Zimbabwe using forged documents.
The accused, John Laseja Mkonto (37), Sibusiso Mpofu (44), Neabi Maqwawe (39), Raymond Tshabalala (29), and Pholani Nhliziyo (38), were remanded in custody and instructed to apply for bail at the High Court.
The court heard that on August 28, 2024, the men stole the vehicle in Pretoria, South Africa, and produced fake South African registration documents and a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) under Mkonto's name. On September 2, 2024, they drove the vehicle into Zimbabwe, heading for Harare.
Their plan unraveled when they were stopped at a police roadblock at ZRP Featherston. Upon inspection, the police officers noticed discrepancies in the documents, including mismatching registration numbers and vehicle types.
Further investigation by the CID Vehicle Theft Squad in Harare, with assistance from Interpol, confirmed that the vehicle had been reported stolen in South Africa on August 28, 2024.
The accused were arrested, and the vehicle was impounded for further investigation.
The accused, John Laseja Mkonto (37), Sibusiso Mpofu (44), Neabi Maqwawe (39), Raymond Tshabalala (29), and Pholani Nhliziyo (38), were remanded in custody and instructed to apply for bail at the High Court.
The court heard that on August 28, 2024, the men stole the vehicle in Pretoria, South Africa, and produced fake South African registration documents and a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) under Mkonto's name. On September 2, 2024, they drove the vehicle into Zimbabwe, heading for Harare.
Their plan unraveled when they were stopped at a police roadblock at ZRP Featherston. Upon inspection, the police officers noticed discrepancies in the documents, including mismatching registration numbers and vehicle types.
Further investigation by the CID Vehicle Theft Squad in Harare, with assistance from Interpol, confirmed that the vehicle had been reported stolen in South Africa on August 28, 2024.
The accused were arrested, and the vehicle was impounded for further investigation.
Source - the herald
