The Nissan NP200 remains a target for vehicle thieves in South Africa despite production of the popular half-ton bakkie ending in March 2024.
The latest incident occurred in Pretoria, where the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD), working with its K9 Unit and other stakeholders, recovered a stolen Nissan NP200 during an intelligence-driven operation.
The operation took place on 24 September 2026 after law enforcement received information about a suspected vehicle-theft syndicate targeting residential properties in Pretoria North and surrounding areas.
According to the TMPD, K9 Unit members received intelligence at around 03:00 indicating that suspects involved in vehicle theft were operating in the area.
Proactive policing units were subsequently deployed after officers identified a silver Honda Amaze travelling along Tandem Road with a red Volkswagen Polo. Both vehicles were allegedly linked to the suspects.
Police located the vehicles and initiated a pursuit. The TMPD said the pursuit ended after a shootout between officers and occupants of the Honda Amaze, before the vehicle lost control and crashed.
A second police team pursued another suspected getaway vehicle and intercepted it nearby. The occupants abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot, with the suspects still at large.
One suspect was arrested during the operation and is allegedly linked to several vehicle-theft cases currently under investigation. These include three cases in Villieria, two in Pretoria North and one in Wonderboompoort.
Police also recovered two stolen vehicles, an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, as well as equipment believed to have been used to break into vehicles.
Preliminary investigations established that the Volkswagen Polo and Nissan NP200 had both been reported stolen on the same night.
Nissan NP200 remains sought after
The recovery highlights the continued presence of the Nissan NP200 in vehicle-theft investigations, even though production of the model ended more than two years ago.
Nissan ended production of the NP200 in March 2024 after 16 years of manufacturing at its former Rosslyn plant in Pretoria. The model had established a strong presence in the South African light-commercial vehicle market during its production run.
The latest recovery also demonstrates the role of intelligence-led policing and coordinated operations in tackling organised vehicle theft.
TMPD Acting Chief of Police, Deputy Commissioner Sean Bolhuis, commended officers involved in the operation and highlighted the breakthrough achieved by TMPD members.
The investigation into the recovered vehicles and the wider vehicle-theft syndicate remains ongoing.
