KEY POINTS
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Five hijacking suspects arrested for impersonating police officers during a truck hijacking.
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The hijacked truck, carrying solar batteries, was valued at R5 million.
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Suspects’ vehicles were confiscated, and they face charges of hijacking, kidnapping, and impersonation.
Gauteng police arrested five hijacking suspects who were wearing uniforms of both the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) and the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The suspects, aged between 50 and 69, allegedly hijacked a truck in Sebenza, R25 Modderfontein Road on Wednesday. “Police found two suspects wearing EMPD uniforms, and two others wore SAPS reflector jackets,” said police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo.
The response team rescued the truck driver and recovered the hijacked vehicle.
Police uncover hijacking plot and arrest suspects
Masondo stated that the counter-intelligence head office received information about suspects involved in truck hijackings in Gauteng. The information led to the uncovering of a hijacking plot in Ekurhuleni.
Officers intercepted the suspects after they hijacked a truck carrying solar batteries worth R5 million and kidnapped the truck driver.
Police arrested all five suspects and charged them with truck hijacking, kidnapping, possession of suspected stolen property, and impersonating officers.
Suspects’ vehicles seized as part of the operation
The police seized the suspects’ two vehicles, a Hyundai Accent and a Hyundai iX35, which they had used in the crime. Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, the Gauteng Provincial Commissioner, congratulated the officers for their outstanding effort, IOL reported.
“This is a major breakthrough as it might help us solve other truck hijacking cases, especially those involving suspects posing as police officers,” Mthombeni said.
He also thanked those involved in the successful operation, emphasising the collaboration between the police and private security companies.
