Johannesburg - Two car dealership owners have been arrested for involvement in hijackings in Gauteng.
Police spokesman Captain Johannes Motsiri said on Sunday that two Mozambicans who operated a dealership in Orange Farm had been arrested with two South Africans on Saturday.
A tracking device in a Mazda sedan that they allegedly stole on Saturday had helped police to trace them to Orange Farm, Motsiri said.
“We followed the tracker and when the suspects saw the police car they tried to run away, but our officers chased after them and we were able to arrest all four,” he added.
The gang targeted a variety of vehicles from entry-level sedans to commercial vehicles such as taxis and mini-trucks, the police alleged.
“The two suspects from Mozambique have a lot of cases linked to them here in Gauteng. We believe they have been involved in a lot of car hijackings, not only in Orange Farm and neighbouring areas, but they have been stealing from all over the country,” he said.
Motsiri said the police had recovered two sedans – a Kia and a Hyundai – in Vereeniging Extension 3 on Friday.
However, he could not confirm if the men had been linked to those vehicles.
“Just a few days before, we also recovered a Toyota Venture stolen in Kimberley.”
He said a taxi owner found in possession of the Venture was being investigated, but police suspect he might have bought the vehicle from the gang.
Motsiri said the police had recovered about 10 stolen vehicles in the Orange Farm area in the past three weeks.
The suspected gang members were due to appear in the Vereeniging Magistrate’s Court on Monday, he added.
kgopi [email protected]
The Star