Mi7 Strategic Threat Response Unit members were involved in the recovery of four suspected stolen vehicles in Pietermaritzburg, all in the same day.
In the first incident, the Mi7 Surveillance Net – a system of cameras, equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition software, across 150 locations in the region – flagged a vehicle, a Nissan Qashqai, which was reported stolen in Johannesburg.
The vehicle was flagged by cameras in the Blackborough area in Pietermaritzburg. Mi7 STRU and Armed Response teams were immediately dispatched and a widespread search for the vehicle ensued. Eventually, it was spotted and brought to a halt. According to the driver, who was found to be the owner, the vehicle was stolen and recovered previously, but not properly cleared from the police’s system. While this was not a recovery in the traditional sense, it did show the effectiveness of the team’s work, as well as the capabilities of the Mi7 Surveillance Net. The matter was handed over to the police for further processing.
Then, Mi7 STRU teams, in conjunction with various SAPS units and members from a car tracking company, undertook a combined operation to locate two vehicles that were allegedly stolen from a property in the CBD on Monday evening.
Members of the team received information on the possible locations of the two VW Polos. The information led the team to the Acacia area, where the first vehicle was found abandoned, and then to Cato Ridge, where the second vehicle was found abandoned near the N3.
In the last case, investigations led the team to a car workshop in the CBD. There, they found a Renault Triber that was reported stolen in July last year. The police are investigating the matter further.
We applaud the teamwork displayed by all roleplayers involved.
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Four Suspected Stolen Vehicles Recovered in a Single Day https://t.co/p4Cr5Z6YTy#ArriveAlive #VehicleCrime pic.twitter.com/JJtQEtgroc
– Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) January 7, 2026