Cape Town – Police have launched a manhunt for the suspects behind the hijacking of a vehicle with large appliances worth about R70 000.
Law Enforcement officers were in the Strandfontein area on Tuesday when a member of the public alerted them to the hijacked vehicle belonging to a well-known wholesale and retail store.
“The officers saw the vehicle drive past and gave chase but lost sight of it. They collaborated with the vehicles tracking company and ascertained it was in the Samora Machel area,” said Law Enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason.
Officers found the vehicle with its keys still inside, but all the large appliances had been stolen.
Meanwhile, Gauteng acting police commissioner Patricia Rampota has hailed the police’s agility and swift response to a double-truck hijacking that ended in the fatal shooting of one suspect and the arrest of another in Midrand.
The two trucks were transporting thousands of cellphones on the K101 road when they were hijacked by an unconfirmed number of armed suspects travelling in three vehicles.
Police spokesperson Mathapelo Peters said officers traced the first truck to President Park, where they found the suspects off-loading the cargo on to their truck.
“The suspects fled the scene, abandoning their Isuzu bakkie in which police found a set of number plates, jamming devices and the magazine of a R5 rifle.”
Police followed up information on the second truck and intercepted a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
“A shoot-out ensued between the suspects and the police. One of the suspects was shot and certified dead on the scene, a second suspect was injured and taken to hospital under police guard, and a third suspect who attempted to flee the scene was caught and taken into custody. No police members were injured,” said Peters.
More cellphones were found in the Sprinter.
Cape Times