LIMPOPO – A 29-year-old male suspect was apprehended during a joint operation following a carjacking that occurred on Sunday (March 16), in the Maake policing area.

The incident unfolded in the late evening when a male victim, driving a Nissan bakkie with his girlfriend, stopped on a gravel road between Pharare and Makhwibidung villages.

While the victim was outside the vehicle, two armed males approached, pointing a firearm at them. The suspects ordered the victim’s girlfriend out of the vehicle before hijacking the bakkie, leaving the pair stranded in the bushes.

Fortunately, a passing motorist assisted them, taking them to the local police station, where a case of carjacking was opened.

Through investigation, one of the suspects was identified as a resident of Pharare village.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Mopani Tracking Team, Tzaneen Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit (VCIU), and Politsi (K9) Unit received intelligence regarding the hijacked bakkie being located in Pharare village.

As police proceeded to the area, they spotted a suspicious white Polo without a registration number. When they attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver sped off, leading to a high-speed chase. The car eventually came to a halt near Burgersdorp village, where three male suspects fled into nearby bushes in an attempt to evade arrest.

The abandoned Polo was later found to be linked to a separate carjacking and robbery incident in the Namakgale policing area earlier in March. The vehicle was seized on the spot.

While still processing the scene, police were alerted to the whereabouts of the 29-year-old suspect. Officers quickly located him walking along a street in Pharare village and arrested him.

Further investigations led to the recovery of the hijacked bakkie at Callies village. The vehicle had been stripped and set alight in bushes.

A manhunt is underway for a second accomplice, also aged 29.

Police are urging anyone with information to contact the Investigating Officer, Captain Marivate, at 082 468 8673, the Crime Stop number at 08600 10111, their nearest police station, or use the MySAPSApp.

The suspect is expected to appear before the Maake Magistrate’s Court soon to face charges of carjacking.

Police investigations are ongoing.