Cape Town Luxury Car Rental Firm Battles to Recover R2 Million Brabus Van After Fraudster Smuggles It to Zimbabwe
A Cape Town luxury car rental company is scrambling to recover a high-end Mercedes-Benz V300 Brabus after a man allegedly used fraudulent documents to hire the vehicle before smuggling it across the border into Zimbabwe, where it later appeared for sale on Facebook Marketplace.
The dramatic chain of events began two weeks ago when the man, using fake identity documents and a fraudulent driver’s licence, approached Ndalo Transportation to rent the van. According to the company, the booking was made for five days at an eye-watering rate of R40 000 per day. With a market value of between R1.6 million and R2 million, the Mercedes-Benz V300 Brabus is one of the most luxurious vehicles in its class.
The company said the man paid in cash – a detail they now regret overlooking. “They paid in cash, and our admin person didn’t pick up that this should have been a red flag,” Ndalo Transportation said.
However, the booking quickly took a suspicious turn. Shortly after the vehicle was collected, the tracking device was removed and dumped in Cape Town’s CBD. As the company scrambled to locate the van, the alleged fraudster sent them a mocking video. In the clip, he insulted the company, seemingly taunting them about the missing vehicle. He later sent another video showing himself driving the Mercedes-Benz in Joe Slovo, Dunoon, accompanied by two other men, all listening to loud music as they cruised through the densely populated settlement.
Believing the van was still somewhere in Cape Town, Ndalo Transportation turned to social media, hoping that crowdsourcing might help them track it down. But the case took an unexpected turn when another operator in the transport industry spotted the vehicle being advertised on Facebook Marketplace – not in South Africa, but in Zimbabwe.
The listing described the van as: “Immaculate condition, 2023 model, full leather interior, sunroof, lots of luxurious extras.” It was advertised for just over R2 million, and the seller reportedly even offered a vehicle swap as an option. When News24 attempted to call the number listed in the advertisement, the call went unanswered.
The business contact who recognised the vehicle promptly alerted Ndalo Transportation. With this new information, the company contacted officials in Zimbabwe, who were able to locate the vehicle. It is now being held at a police station across the border.
“The car is at a police station there, and we’re now working on the process to have it brought back,” the company said.
While the recovery process is under way, several unanswered questions remain. A police source close to the investigation revealed that the fraudulent documents used during the booking belonged to someone else, who has since been identified. The suspected fraudster, however, has not yet been apprehended. According to the source, he was reportedly spotted at a casino in Cape Town on Monday, suggesting that he may still be in the city.
The South African Police Service has since opened a case related to the unauthorised use of a motor vehicle as well as attempted extortion. Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed that Milnerton police were handling the investigation.
“Milnerton police were investigating a case involving the use of a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent and attempted extortion. The investigation continues. No arrests have been made yet,” he said.
Ndalo Transportation, meanwhile, is reassessing its internal processes after the incident. The company admitted that accepting cash and failing to scrutinise the identity documents allowed the fraudster to exploit loopholes in their verification system. They are also reviewing their fleet tracking protocols after discovering that the tracker had been swiftly removed.
The case highlights the growing challenges facing luxury vehicle rental companies, including sophisticated fraud techniques, cross-border vehicle smuggling, and the increasing use of social media platforms like Facebook Marketplace to sell stolen or illegally obtained cars. For Ndalo Transportation, the focus now is on safely recovering the vehicle from Zimbabwe while also assisting police in tracking down the suspect.
As authorities coordinate with their Zimbabwean counterparts, the company hopes that the recovery of the vehicle will be finalised soon, though the process of bringing a smuggled car back across international borders is rarely simple. For now, the Brabus remains parked in a foreign police yard while investigators work to piece together the full extent of the alleged scam.
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