Police in the OR Tambo district have recovered three stolen or hijacked vehicles, including a new Isuzu truck valued at about R1.2m.
Police spokesperson Capt Welile Matyolo said the truck was recovered four days after it was hijacked.
“The new Isuzu truck, valued at about R1.2m, was recovered by Qumbu crime prevention members on Monday at about 9.30am in Makoti village in the Bomvini administrative area, under the Ntabankulu policing precinct.
“The truck had been hijacked by three armed suspects on Thursday on the N2 near Tsolo while en route to Durban,” he said.
Matyolo said the truck sustained minor damage to the dashboard and was towed to a dealership in Mthatha.
In a separate incident, Sulenkama police recovered an abandoned white Isuzu D-Max bakkie in Lwandlana village outside Qumbu.
“The vehicle was positively linked to a carjacking case reported in Kei Mouth in March 2026,” Matyolo said.
Police also arrested a 40-year-old woman in Mthatha for possession of an unlicensed firearm during a tracing operation linked to a sexual assault case.
“Police members from the family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit, crime prevention and the district task team were conducting a tracing operation in Chris Hani Park on Monday at about 4pm when they arrested the woman.
“The team was searching for a wanted male suspect linked to a sexual assault case. The 40-year-old female suspect, believed to be the girlfriend of the wanted man, was found in possession of an unlicensed pistol with two rounds of live ammunition.
“Further investigation revealed the firearm was reported stolen in 2018 in Polokwane. The suspect is facing charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition,” he said.
The latest recoveries come days after Mthatha police recovered a stolen Mini Cooper in Orange Grove on April 1 and arrested a 32-year-old man.
Police said the vehicle had been stolen in Johannesburg in 2024.
Mthatha police, including the flying squad and vehicle crime investigating unit, have in recent weeks intensified operations targeting vehicle theft syndicates in the district.
Several hijacked vehicles, including Hyundai and Toyota bakkies, were recovered in March, many found abandoned or tracked down through vehicle tracking systems.
Daily Dispatch
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