CELL phones worth R8,8 million were stolen in a daring hijacking on Olifantsfontein Road on Monday afternoon in which a security escort was shot and seriously wounded.
Five men armed with AK47 and R5 assault rifles opened fire on the vehicle in front of the truck at the intersection of the M57 and R562, Olifantsfontein police spokesman, Const Mokete Serakawana, said.
The truck was transporting I-Phones worth millions from OR Tambo International Airport to a warehouse in Midrand. Serakwana said the men managed to escape with 59 boxes containing 10 cell phones each. They were unable to take all the phones in the truck with them.“Three vehicles were escorting the truck. When the vehicles stopped at a red traffic light at about 2pm, a red Mazda stopped opposite the truck and five armed men jumped out,” she explained.
Serakwana said a white Velocity escort vehicle was shot at and the driver sustained several gun shot wounds.
According to Serakwana a Toyota and Opel Corsa were the other two escort vehicles but the drivers did not suffer any injuries. She said the truck driver had been assaulted with one of the firearms.
The suspects hijacked the truck and abandoned it with part of its load in Clayville East.
The men are still on the run.
According to Russel Meiring, ER24 spokesman, the security escort was hit several times in the chest, abdomen an leg and was taken to Arwyp in a critical condition.
A second escort was wounded in the foot.
