The SAPS and Zimbabwean police made a breakthrough when they smashed a notorious cross-border car theft syndicate, arresting a 29-year-old Zimbabwean linked to the syndicate, after he was found in possession of a Nissan Navarra, worth R200 000, that was allegedly stolen in South Africa.

According to police, the suspect was arrested while driving the vehicle around the border town of Beit Bridge in Zimbabwe on Saturday, March 8.

The suspect, Lovemore Paradza of House 992, Medium Density Suburb in Beit Bridge, appeared in court on Monday (March 10) on a charge of car theft before Beitbridge magistrate Mr Tawengwa Sangster. The case was postponed to March 19 and Paradza was released on bail of ZW$400 million. As part of his bail conditions, Paradza was ordered to surrender his passport and to reside at his given address until the matter has been finalized. He is also supposed to report at the Beit Bridge police station twice a week.

The prosecutor, Mr Innocent Shumbaimwe, said that on February 15, Paradza connived with Zechariah Jere, who is still at large, and they went to South Africa where they allegedly stole a white Nissan Navarra twin cab at Global Exclusive Cars Pretoria. The court heard that the duo then proceeded to the Beit Bridge border post, where they smuggled the vehicle into Zimbabwe. The vehicle was then fraudulently registered in Zimbabwe in Jere’s name.

Police in Beitbridge were tipped-off by the Pretoria SAPS and investigations led to the arrest of Paradza and the subsequent seizure of the vehicle, together with a forged registration book. The engine and chassis numbers indicated that the car was reported as having been stolen in Gauteng. Mr Nkulululeko Fuzwayo of Calderwood Bryce and Partners Legal Practitioners represented Paradza.