Pretoria – The South African Police Service (SAPS) in conjunction with Cartrack recovery team apprehended a 34-year-old man for possession of a hijacked vehicle in Soweto, after a Bolt e-hailing cab driver was robbed by bogus police officers.
Johannesburg SAPS spokesperson Captain Xoli Mbele said the Bolt driver was hijacked while on his way to pick a client.
“It is alleged that a 31-year-old Taxify (now called Bolt) driver was hijacked of a white Chevrolet Aveo at corner Anderson and Nugget Street on Tuesday at 1.30am. The victim was on his way to pick up a client at Anderson Street when a white Chevrolet, similar to his, flashed its lights,” Mbele said.
For the current adjusted alert level 1 announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the end of September, the curfew hours are from midnight until 4am.
Mbele said the bogus police officers were wearing marked SAPS masks.
“The driver pulled over, thinking that it was police officers. Four males came out in civilian clothes and wearing police masks. The bogus police officers asked him why he was driving during curfew period and demanded that he comes out of the vehicle.”
The bogus police officers searched the Bolt cab for drugs, and took the driver to their vehicle. They took his cellphone and R480 from the driver’s wallet.
“One of the suspects drove his car, and he was dropped off at Wemmer Jubilee and Von Wielligh Street. The victim was rescued by a security guards’ vehicle and taken to the police station to open a case,” Mbele said.
“The tracker signal was activated which led to the recovery of the vehicle. The suspects who were in their getaway car managed to speed off and the suspect who was behind the wheel of the hijacked motor vehicle jumped out and ran.”
The alert police officers gave chase and apprehended the fleeing man. He was found in possession of the hijacked vehicle’s keys and knife.
Investigations are under way and the arrested man was on Thursday scheduled to appear before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court.
IOL