Share

Cops make hair-raising discovery in car boot - a young crocodile and 1.9-metre snake

Eastern Cape police officers made a hair-raising discovery during a routine patrol in the early hours of the morning on Friday.

While searching a vehicle in Qashasnek, near King William's Town, the officers found a young crocodile, its mouth and legs taped to prevent it from moving around, inside the boot of a Toyota Corolla.

Next to it was a 1.9-metre red-tailed Boa snake.

"Members recovered a 1.9m Boa snake and a 1.5m Nile crocodile hidden in the vehicle, occupied by three suspects travelling in the vehicle. The sighting of the two live reptiles was the least expected by our members," police spokesperson Captain Khaya Tonjeni said.

Tonjeni added that the officers were conducting patrols as part of the #SafetyFridays campaign at Khoapha Junction. The aim of the campaign is to ensure public safety.

Recovery led to arrests

Tonjeni said the driver of the vehicle, aged 39, and two passengers, aged 27 and 39, were arrested for the alleged illegal possession of reptiles.

It is believed that the occupants were en route to the Eastern Cape from Limpopo.

Tonjeni said the three were expected to appear in the Maluti Magistrate's Court on Monday on charges of possession of endangered species.

Suspected stolen vehicle

In a separate incident in the same area, police also recovered a suspected stolen vehicle and arrested a 37-year-old man.

"The vehicle's number plate did not match the disc registration of the vehicle. The suspect was charged [with the] possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle."

He is also expected to appear in the Maluti Magistrate's Court on Monday.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 314 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 453 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.92
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.47
+0.0%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.36
-0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.3%
Platinum
911.60
+1.6%
Palladium
1,012.97
+1.1%
Gold
2,213.47
+0.9%
Silver
24.80
+0.6%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.9%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.9%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE