Durban - An alleged member of a truck hijacking syndicate is behind bars after Durban Metro Police swooped on a warehouse in Sea Cow Lake on Tuesday.
Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad, Durban Metro police spokesperson, said a truck was hijacked on the M7 near Pinetown on Monday night. Sewpersad said police had worked with a vehicle tracking company Tracker SA throughout the night. He said police had located the truck on Tuesday morning in oThongathi.
"With sufficient and a diligent tracking report it showed that the vehicle stopped at Inanda Road before it was recovered in oThongathi. The Metro Police officers proceeded to P31 Inanda Road. The owner of a warehouse was contacted by police and a search of his premises was conducted," he said.
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Sewpersad said police met the owner of the warehouse, a Chinese national, who then allegedly admitted to police that the goods were stolen.
"He alleged that he bought the goods for R20 000 from the truck we were tracking. The goods were a pallet of beer that was worth between R1.5 Million to R2 Million," Sewpersad said.
Metro Police officers arrested the man for receiving stolen goods and buying goods with knowledge that it is stolen. In a twist to the story, police had found out that the truck driver was allegedly part of the syndicate. He had opened a false case of hijacking.
"The truck driver was allegedly going to receive another payment of one hundred thousand rands. The driver of the truck, a Zambian resident, was also arrested for defeating the hands of justice," Sewpersad said.
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The suspects were detained at Greenwood Police Station
Colonel Thembeka Mbhele, KZN police spokesperson, confirmed the incident.
" A 39-year-old suspect was placed under arrest. A case of suspected stolen property is being investigated by Greenwood Park SAPS. It was established that the goods were stolen during the hijacking in Pinetown. Through investigations by the Provincial Task Team and Metro police another two suspects aged 19 and 35 were arrested for defeating the ends of justice. Investigations revealed that they orchestrated the carjacking in Pinetown and sold the goods to another suspect in Sea Cow Lake. The suspects will appear in the Durban Magistrates’ Court," she said.
Mbhele said the matter was handed over to the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (Hawks).
Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo, Hawks spokesperson, said investigations were underway.
Daily News