KEY POINTS
- A G4S security guard was arrested for hijacking and kidnapping.
- Armed suspects ambushed two security guards and stole ATM keys.
- Police chased the suspects, arresting one while another escaped.
On Monday morning, a G4S security guard is scheduled to appear in the Port St. Johns Magistrate’s Court on allegations of kidnapping and hijacking.
G4S security guard accused of hijacking and kidnapping
The Hawks, or Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, took the 40-year-old suspect into custody on Saturday.
Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana claims that two G4S security officers were driving a Toyota Etios near Ntlaza in Libode, servicing Capitec Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), when a Volkswagen Polo allegedly collided with their car.
“It is alleged that the guards stopped to check the damage when a white Toyota Fortuner suddenly appeared and stopped next to them,” Mhlakuvana stated.
According to the Hawks, armed suspects got out of the Fortuner, told the guards to lie down, disarmed them, and then drove away. Later, in a forest close to Ngqeleni, the suspects left the guards.
Accordign to Iol, two suspects were inside the G4S Toyota Etios when police discovered it in the Pantu neighborhood close to Port St. Johns, but they ran away when they saw them.
Police chase leads to arrest of one suspect
“A few meters away, the suspects abandoned the vehicle and ran on foot,” the Hawks reported. Following a chase, one suspect was apprehended, but his accomplice managed to get away. ATM keys and firearms were taken, however the keys were eventually found.
The apprehended suspect is currently employed by G4S Cash Solutions in Gauteng, according to additional investigations.
The Hawks stated, “The search for more suspects is ongoing.”
