Car mules: South Africa smugglers use donkeys to bring stolen Mercedes into Zimbabwe

Police in South Africa have foiled an attempt to smuggle a stolen luxury car into Zimbabwe using donkeys

Smugglers often use a mule to convey contraband over a border. In this case, they had to use a few. 

South African police have thwarted an attempt to smuggle a stolen luxury car into Zimbabwe, with the suspects using donkeys to pull it across the Limpopo river.

The culprits had placed metal sheets underneath the wheels of the Mercedez Benz C220 to make it easier for the animals to drag it, but the vehicle still ended up stuck in the sand near Musina.

Foiled in their attempts, the suspects then fled in the direction of Zimbabwe. 

Police Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the car was recovered from the bed of the river, which forms the border between the two countries.

The car found in the dry  Limpopo river was a Mercedez Benz C220

"The suspects were using donkeys to pull the car across the river‚ but our members were just in time to pounce on them after the donkeys were apparently no longer able to pull it through the sand," Mr Mojapelo said, according to local media.

It is not known why the suspects didn't just drive the car over the border. The BBC suggested the suspects didn't want police or the owners tracing the car using its tracker, which is activated when the car is running. 

It is not the first time, however, that thieves have used this technique. 

In December a vehicle stolen in Durban was found attached to donkeys on the same river.