Johannesburg - A 28-year-old man was due to appear in the Umlazi Magistrate’s Court on Monday where he faces charges of armed robbery and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition after he allegedly hijacked a bakery truck.
KwaZulu-Natal police said the man was arrested on Friday by the Umlazi Tactical Response Team members just a few minutes after he and two other suspects were allegedly involved in an armed robbery at H section, Umlazi.
“On Friday at about 9:30am the driver of a bakery truck was at H section delivering bread when he was approached by three suspects,” Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane said in statement.
“[The driver] was allegedly forced into the back of his truck at gunpoint and the suspects drove away.”
Zwane said the incident was reported to police and they started to look for the hijacked truck. A few minutes later, the truck was spotted and the members tried to stop it.
“It is alleged that the occupants started to open fire towards the members and the members retaliated. One suspect was arrested and the other two managed to escape.”
Zwane said police recovered an unlicensed 9mm pistol with eleven live rounds and the driver was rescued and the truck recovered.
KZN acting provincial commissioner Major-General Bhekinkosi Langa has commended police for the swift arrest of the suspect.
Langa said they would “profile the arrested suspect and check if he is not linked to other hijackings in the area.”
“Our detectives will work hard in tracing the other two suspects who are still at large. The recovered firearm will be sent for ballistic tests to determine if it was used in any other crime in the province.”
African News Agency