Maputo — Preliminary data on the regional police operation to seize stolen cars in Maputo city and province indicate that, of the 139 vehicles that had been apprehended by last Saturday, 122 were indeed stolen.

According to the spokesman for the Maputo City Police Command, Abilio Quive, cited in Thursday's issue of the daily paper "Noticias", 117 of these vehicles had been stolen in South Africa, two in Zimbabwe, and one each in Botswana, Swaziland and Mozambique.

Nine motorbikes, all stolen in South Africa, were also recovered during this operation.

The operation, codenamed "Mongoshe II", involved the police forces of Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana and Zimbabwe, and officers from the sub-regional headquarters of Interpol.

More vehicles are now being inspected to determine their origin, and the police say that final results from the operation will be published later.