Police warn of increase in vehicle thefts, truck hijackings

Residents have expressed concerns over an ‘alarming’ number of thefts of motor vehicles in certain parts of Boksburg.

Responding to the Boksburg Advertiser’s request for comment on this issue, Boksburg SAPS spokesperson Sergeant Ntsako Ledwaba said the station has noted with concern the number of reported cases of theft of motor vehicles and truck hijackings.
Hence, management has devised several strategies aimed at strengthening efforts to take a grip on the matter.

Targets
Hotspots include Boksburg CBD and the Boksburg City Stadium, where criminals tend to target the vehicles of people attending sporting events.
Among the biggest hijacking and theft targets according to the police are vehicle brands such as Toyota, Ford, VW and Audi. Big bakkies remain high on the lists of thieves.

Ledwaba said when it comes to trucks, the station records at least one or two cases a week, and in most cases criminals go after those carrying hundreds of thousands of rands worth of valuable goods.
Victim taken for a ride
In one of the latest incidents, a driver was hoodwinked into pulling his employer’s truck over before it was subsequently hijacked at gunpoint, in broad daylight, by armed violent criminals as he was driving along the N17 next to the Rondebult off-ramp in Sunward Park.

According to the police reports, it was about 11:45 on February 14 when the driver of the white Isuzu truck noticed a white Audi driving behind his truck flashing its lights on and off at him.

“The driver of the Audi proceeded to the fast lane and told the truck driver that the door at the back is not closed. He pulled over and exited the truck to inspect the doors.
“After exiting the truck, the driver was approached by two men who just alighted from a blue Renault Triber parked near his truck. One of them took out a gun and hit him with it on his right back side,” said Ledwaba.
The victim told the police that thereafter both assailants kicked and punched him before dragging him into their car where they covered his face with a mask and a cloth, and took his cellphone and money.
“They drove away with the blindfolded driver and told him to co-operate with them as they just wanted to use the truck to collect some goods, and that they will thereafter give it back to him. He later overheard them asking someone to open the gate for them.

“They subsequently entered an unidentified location where the car was parked for about two hours, before he was driven in the Triber and later dumped in Dobsonville.”
Cases of truck hijacking and kidnapping were registered, and investigations are underway.
Residents are requested to report any suspicious criminal behaviour to law enforcement agencies.

Also Read: SA truck hijackings on the increase