Cape Town - Police in Gauteng arrested four suspects soon after they allegedly hijacked a courier truck and took goods worth more than R350 000 in Rockville, Soweto.
The suspects, who were found in possession of an unlicensed firearm and various passports, allegedly took goods including laptops, medication, and clothes. They were arrested in Rockville, Soweto, on Wednesday.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo, said the driver of the courier truck was hijacked in Ekurhuleni and later dumped a few kilometres away.
“The suspects drove the truck to an isolated place, where they offloaded some of the goods to their vehicle.
“The police collaborated with the tracker company and information led them to a house in Rockville, where four suspects were found.
“Upon searching their car, police found different kinds of medication, clothes with price tags on them, and laptops, among other items. Preliminary investigation revealed that the items were the ones taken from the hijacked truck,” Masondo said.
Masondo said the suspects were charged with car hijacking, kidnapping, possession of suspected stolen goods, possession of an unlicensed firearm, and possession of ammunition.
Gauteng Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, praised the collaboration between the police and Tracker Company that led to the arrest of the suspects.
“The investigation is under way to establish if these suspects are linked to other robberies and hijackings of courier trucks in Gauteng,“ Mawela said.
In a separate incident, on Wednesday, officers from the Gauteng Provincial Organised Crime Investigation Unit received a tip-off regarding suspects who had suspected stolen cell phones in their possession.
“Police pounced on a block of flats in Johannesburg Central Business District and found three suspects in possession of more than 25 new cellphones worth more than R350 000. One of the suspects was found with drugs,” Masondo added.
IOL