- The SANDF and SAPS recovered a Ford Everest XLT from the Limpopo River following a joint operation near the Musina border area.
- The vehicle was reported stolen in Bela-Bela on 31 December 2025 and was fitted with false registration plates.
- The operation highlights growing cooperation between defence and police units in tackling cross-border crime.
A routine crime combat patrol near the Musina border area led to the recovery of a luxury vehicle from the Limpopo River, following swift coordination between the South African National Defence Force and the South African Police Service.
Members of the SAPS Border Police Reaction Team, deployed close to the border as part of ongoing crime prevention operations, observed a Ford Everest XLT driving directly into the flowing Limpopo River within the Musina area of responsibility. The conduct immediately raised suspicion, prompting officers to seek operational support from nearby SANDF units.
Police members proceeded to Malala Road, where soldiers from the SANDF’s 1 South African Tank Regiment were conducting Vehicle Control Point operations under Joint Tactical Headquarters Limpopo. Given the time of day and deteriorating visibility on the evening of January 5, 2026, the decision was made to postpone the recovery operation until daylight.
The area was secured overnight, with members guarding the scene to preserve it as a potential crime scene and to ensure the vehicle was not tampered with before recovery could safely proceed.
Recovery confirms stolen vehicle and false registration
The following morning, on 6 January 2026, the joint team successfully recovered the vehicle from the river with assistance from a civilian recovery company. The Ford Everest was transported to the South African Police Service pound for further investigation.
Subsequent checks revealed that the vehicle had been reported stolen on 31 December 2025 in Bela-Bela, Limpopo. Police also established that the registration plates affixed to the vehicle were false, confirming that the incident formed part of broader criminal activity rather than an accident.
The Officer Commanding Joint Tactical Headquarters Limpopo, Colonel Dikgabane Herold Tladi, commended the members involved for their professionalism and effective cooperation, praising the joint effort as an example of how integrated operations can disrupt organised and cross-border crime.
The operation forms part of intensified deployments in border areas, where security forces continue to face challenges linked to vehicle smuggling, organised theft syndicates, and illegal border crossings.
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