143 stolen luxury vehicles recovered in crackdown

Freeman RazembaSenior ReporterAuthorities have impounded 143 top-of-the-range stolen vehicles that were smuggled into the country using fake documents.The seized vehicles include luxury models like Toyota Land Cruisers, BMWs, Jeep Grand Cherokees, Mercedes Benz cars, Range Rovers and Audi SUVs.Police investigations revealed that some of the cars had their engine and chassis numbers tampered with to obtain fraudulent local registration.So far, 15 vehicles have been identified by their rightful owners and repatriated to neighbouring countries, while others were intercepted while being smuggled further into the region.In an interview, Criminal Investigations Department (CID) spokesperson Detective Inspector Rachel Muteweri confirmed the developments.“So far, we still have 128 top-of-the-range cars that were recovered in Zimbabwe and are believed to have been stolen from different neighbouring countries. Some were destined for Zimbabwe, while others were in transit to other neighbouring countries when they were recovered,” she said.Through the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), police said they were liaising with the countries concerned so that the vehicles could be taken to their owners.In a recent case, on July 25, Marshall Munyuru, a 38-year-old man from Dangamvura Area 16 in Mutare, was arrested for theft of a motor vehicle after police discovered three stolen vehicles in his possession.Munyuru, son of a Bindura-based car dealer, Junior Makochera, was already wanted in connection with a 2023 fraud case. Detectives found keys to a Toyota Fortuner and a Ford Ranger at his residence, while a grey Mercedes-Benz was also linked to him.His mother claimed ownership of the vehicles, but failed to produce valid import documents.

Checks with the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) and Interpol confirmed all three were stolen from South Africa between 2023 and 2024.Authorities say Zimbabwe has become a transit hub for stolen vehicles, with criminal syndicates smuggling cars from South Africa across the Limpopo River before shipping them to Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.Some vehicles remain in Zimbabwe’s local market.In response, Interpol launched “Operation Take Back” (2022), a global initiative to recover stolen vehicles.Zimbabwean police participated, leading to the impounding of 200 luxury cars linked to regional theft rings.Interpol warns that vehicle crime fuels organised crime and even terrorism, with stolen cars often used in drug trafficking, arms smuggling and other illicit activities.In 2020, nearly 250 000 vehicles were reported stolen worldwide.Share on FacebookPost on XFollow usSave

Originally published on Zimbabwe Herald

Source: Zimbabwe Herald