Bushbuckridge SAPS is hunting (a) suspect(s) after a carjacking in which delivery parcels worth R570 000 were stolen.

The Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane, said the victim was driving a white Toyota Hilux, a company vehicle used for parcel deliveries, when he was accosted by an unknown man.

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“The driver was en route to deliver a parcel when he was approached by the armed suspect. He was told to move to the back of the delivery vehicle. The suspect drove away with the victim locked inside the canopy. The vehicle stopped near a cemetery, where various parcels were transferred to another unidentified vehicle. The second car left, while the suspect continued driving with the complainant trapped in the back.”

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Ndubane said the Hilux stopped again shortly afterwards and the victim heard the bonnet being opened. Through a small hole in the canopy, he saw the man running away with the vehicle’s battery. He got into a nearby taxi and fled the scene.

The driver was unharmed and rescued by his colleagues who were in the vicinity. The police were contacted and a case of carjacking has been opened. While the stolen vehicle, without a battery, was recovered, parcels amounting to hundreds of thousands are still missing.

The police urgently appeal to members of the public who have information that may assist in locating and arresting the suspect(s), to contact the investigating officer, Lieutenant Colonel Eurance Sibuyi on 069 213 3294. Anonymous tip-offs can be submitted via the Crime Stop hotline on 08600 10111 or the My SAPS app.