Zimbabwean authorities have cracked down on a massive stolen vehicle racket, impounding 143 luxury cars worth millions of dollars. The seized vehicles, including Toyota Land Cruisers, BMWs, Jeep Grand Cherokees, and Range Rovers, were smuggled into the country using fake documents.

Police discovered that some of the cars had their engine and chassis numbers tampered with to obtain fraudulent local registration. So far, 15 vehicles have been returned to their rightful owners in neighboring countries, while others were intercepted en route to further destinations.

Marshall Munyuru, a 38-year-old man from Mutare, was arrested on July 25 for theft of a motor vehicle after police found three stolen vehicles in his possession. His mother claimed ownership, but couldn’t produce valid import documents. Investigations revealed the vehicles were stolen from South Africa between 2023 and 2024.

Zimbabwe has become a transit hub for stolen vehicles, with syndicates smuggling cars from South Africa to Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Interpol’s “Operation Take Back” aims to recover stolen vehicles worldwide. Since its launch in 2022, the operation has led to the impounding of 200 luxury cars linked to regional theft rings.

The Zimbabwean police are working with Interpol to repatriate the stolen vehicles to their owners. Detective Inspector Rachel Muteweri confirmed that 128 top-of-the-range cars are still being held, believed to have been stolen from neighboring countries.

Interpol warns that vehicle crime fuels organized crime and terrorism, with stolen cars often used in illicit activities like drug trafficking and arms smuggling. In 2020, nearly 250,000 vehicles were reported stolen worldwide.

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