Three alleged truck hijackers were arrested by provincial traffic officers with the help of a civilian this morning in the vicinity of Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) at approximately 07:00.
It is alleged that two armed suspects hijacked a Mercedes truck that was transporting cake flour on the N2 near Trucker’s Inn just outside Gqeberha. A provincial traffic officer on duty patrolling the N2, oblivious of the hijacking that took place a few minutes prior, noticed the driver of the said truck talking on his cell phone.
He instructed the driver to pull over on the side of the freeway. As the driver stopped, two males jumped out of the truck, climbed into a white Renault Sandero and sped off in the direction of Gqeberha. The driver of the truck then informed the traffic officers that the truck was hijacked by the two fleeing suspects. A member of the community, that was also on the scene, immediately gave chase after the suspects in his private vehicle.
According to police spokesperson, Capt. Gerda Swart, the driver of the Sandero lost control of the vehicle when he drove onto an off-ramp and landed in the bushes. “Three suspects, between the ages of 23 and 30 years, were arrested on the spot and a firearm was also confiscated. The three are due to appear in the Motherwell Magistrate’s Court soon on charges of vehicle hijacking, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition and reckless and negligent driving,” Swart said.
“The firearm will be sent for ballistic testing. Further investigations revealed that the Renault Sandero was stolen in December 2020 in Motherwell. A charge of possession of a suspected stolen vehicle will also be added.”
Acting Mount Road Cluster Commander, Brig. Thandiswa Kupiso, applauded the excellent arrests by the provincial traffic officers and brave community member and commended them for their vigilance and swift reaction.
