Smugglers hit hard as cops torch 24 boats at Limpopo River

Limpopo

Cape Town – Police in Beitbridge have destroyed 24 pressure boats believed to be used by smuggling syndicates to ferry goods and undocumented migrants across the Limpopo River into and out of South Africa, authorities confirmed this week.

The operation targeted illegal crossing points long exploited by criminal networks operating along the porous border.

Officer Commanding Police in Beitbridge, Chief Superintendent Mesuli Ncube, told journalists that officers seized the vessels during a crackdown on smuggling activity.

“We are not relenting in our quest to fight crime at the Limpopo River,” Ncube said, adding that the recovered boats were destroyed on site after several suspects were arrested and others fled, abandoning their vessels.

Authorities said community tip-offs played a crucial role in identifying and dismantling the smuggling networks operating along remote stretches of the river.

“Today, we are destroying 24 pressure boats which we recovered at various crossing points along the river,” Ncube told reporters, thanking local residents for providing intelligence that assisted the operation.

The crackdown reflects ongoing efforts by Zimbabwean and South African security forces to curb cross-border crime, particularly the illegal movement of goods and people via the Limpopo River.

Smugglers in recent years have increasingly used inflatable boats and makeshift rafts to transport contraband such as cigarettes, livestock and other merchandise across the border, with significant losses in customs revenue reported by authorities on both sides.

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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele

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