DURBAN – Gauteng police this week dealt a blow to organised crime syndicates targeting courier vehicles, when they arrested seven suspects in a sting operation on the N3 highway.
Police also rescued two people who were allegedly held hostage in the gang’s latest alleged escapade.
Gauteng SAPS spokesperson, Warrant Officer Bonnie Nxumalo, says the seven have been charged with hijacking, carjacking, possession of suspected stolen property and kidnapping.
Nxumalo said the Hawks’ Tactical Operational Management Section, MDOC CI CIT TEAM, Tracker Connect assisted by SAPS Germiston Flying Squad, EMPD, Badboys Security, GTP Saturation, ICB Insurance Crime Bureau, CPS and Fox Security; received information that the suspects who are allegedly involved in hijackings, targeting courier vans, using a VW Polo and a Nissan Almera in the Gauteng province, were driving on the N3 highway.
Nxumalo said officers proceeded to the highway where they discovered that the suspects had allegedly hijacked a Toyota Quantum on the N3 highway in Germiston. The hijacked vehicle was spotted on the N3 in Alberton near the Heidelberg off ramp, escorted by two vehicles.
She said all the vehicles were intercepted and the team rescued the minibus taxi driver and his passenger who were allegedly held hostage.
Seven suspects were apprehended and an investigation has linked a VW Polo to a robbery case where a courier van was robbed in Mondeor in October.
The suspects are due to appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.
Earlier this year, police nabbed three suspects linked to a spate of robberies on courier vans.
VaultGroup, which specialises in high-tech electronic lockers for companies, reported a surge in courier van robberies with crime syndicates targeting high value goods such as mobile devices.
VaultGroup said the lockdown, which was implemented last year, resulted in a boom in online shopping with an estimated 1.8 billion active e-commerce shoppers’ packages being delivered across Africa.
CEO of VaultGroup, Michael Gewer, said recent social media videos aside, these “hits” have become a massive problem over the past several months.
“The courier driver and the support vehicles face increasing risk with gangs of up to 25 hijackers swarming a van with military precision and high-grade weapons. No longer are these just opportunistic crimes but highly organised attacks that focus on mobile devices that can be quickly sold on the Black Market,” Gewer said.
IOL