A South African man who was arrested in July while attempting to smuggle a stolen Toyota Hilux bakkie from Tshwane to Zimbabwe has been sentenced to eight years’ direct imprisonment.
The Mokopane Regional Court on Wednesday convicted and sentenced 34-year-old Solomon Chiloane for possession of stolen property following his arrest during an intelligence-driven operation earlier this year.
Chiloane was intercepted on 14 July 2025 while driving a white Toyota Hilux Club Cab high-raised body along the R101 into Mokopane. The vehicle had been reported stolen in the Lyttelton policing area in Tshwane and was believed to be en route to Zimbabwe.
Police said the arrest was made through a joint operation involving the Limpopo Provincial Tracking Team, Tshimollo Security and Investigation, Shadowsecure Security, and Tracker Connect.
At the time, IOL reported that Chiloane was remanded in custody after his bail application was denied. Sergeant Lucas Letlotlo Ledwaba of the Provincial Investigation Unit led the case, which culminated in this week’s conviction and sentencing.
Despite being a first-time offender, Chiloane was handed an eight-year direct imprisonment term, with the court saying the sentence should serve as a deterrent to others involved in vehicle theft and smuggling.
Solomon Chiloane has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment after he was intercepted in Limpopo while driving a stolen Toyota Hilux to Zimbabwe
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Acting provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, Major General Jan Scheepers, applauded the teamwork between police and private security firms.
“The ongoing joint effort in fighting syndicates involved in organised crime or vehicle smuggling has proven time and again that criminal elements have no space in our province, and any such effort will be stopped,” said Scheepers.
