Police believe they have made a breakthrough in a series of truck hijackings after a cloned police vehicle was found and two arrests, one after the owner of the vehicle allegedly attempted to bribe police officers, were made last week.

The breakthrough came after police received a tip last Monday about a suspicious marked police vehicle, a Mazda BT50 double cab, that had just left a car wash and was driving on the Modderfontein Road.

The Ekurhuleni District Criminal Intelligence Trio Task Team, Tembisa Tracing Team and Highway Patrol responded immediately and managed to find and stop the vehicle.

The SAPS communication officer for the Ekurhuleni district, Captain Neldah Sekgobela, says the vehicle looked like a police vehicle and had marks from the provincial head office.

“Investigations indicate that the car belonged to a suspect who has been involved in truck hijackings using cloned vehicles from the SAPS. The vehicle was confirmed stolen in Bedfordview in December last year.”

“Later, the owner arrived and requested the SAPS members to release the driver offering them R5 000 as a bribe. The suspect, from President Park in Midrand, was arrested for bribery.

“The driver [of the vehicle] from Falcon Street in Rabie Ridge was also detained for possession of a cloned SAPS vehicle and possession of a stolen vehicle.”