Authorities in South Africa have stopped a group of thieves from smuggling a stolen car. The group was attempting to smuggle the car into Zimbabwe by using a different tactic. Police say the thieves were using donkeys to pull the car.
Police foiled the attempt when they spotted the group of thieves trying to get the car out after it got stuck in the sand. Police say the thieves were probably planning to free the car and then smuggle it by using the donkeys to pull it across the river. The suspects were not caught by police as they ran towards Zimbabwe after they were spotted.
The tactic is not new to police as they say a stolen vehicle was recovered on the same river last year. Police say that vehicle was found with a group of donkeys. Police are now investigating to see if there is a large group behind the smuggling operation. A police officer confirmed that a Mercedez Benz car had been recovered near the river. The officer said the thieves were using donkeys to move the car across the river but that authorities were just in time to stop them after the donkeys could not pull the car through the sand. According to the officer, the thieves placed metal plates under the wheels to make it easier for the animals to pull the car. A picture from the police shows the car stuck on the sand with the donkeys standing behind it.
Police do not know how many people may be behind the smuggling of stolen cars or how many cars have been pulled across the river. The area is well known for being a route used by immigrants to cross into the countries but the smuggling of cars is now becoming more and more common there. Â
