A 38-year-old Ethiopian national was arrested on Monday for possession of suspected stolen property after police discovered he was driving a vehicle reported stolen two years earlier, authorities said.
The arrest occurred during a routine roadblock operation at the Middelburg Toll Plaza in Mpumalanga province, according to a statement released by the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane, a spokesperson for the SAPS in Mpumalanga, said police stopped a grey Nissan NP200 with Gauteng registration plates at about 11:50 a.m. The vehicle was occupied by a single male driver.
After the driver granted permission for a search, officers noticed that the vehicle’s licence disc had expired three years ago. Further checks confirmed the vehicle had been reported stolen in Benoni in 2023.
“The driver was requested to produce documentation for the vehicle but failed to do so,” Ndubane said in the statement. “He was subsequently arrested for possession of stolen property. The vehicle was confiscated for further investigation.”
The suspect is expected to appear soon before the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court on relevant charges.
The Acting Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General Dr Zeph Mkhwanazi, welcomed the arrest.
Mkhwanazi “reiterated that the police remain committed to combating crime and ensuring the safety of all communities,” according to the statement.