Six arrested in KZN taxi hijacking case

Aged between 20 and 32, the six appeared in court on Wednesday for various charges including attempted hijacking and possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition, Rising Sun Chatsworthreported.

This after four of the suspects requested the services of the taxi, which was supposed to take them to Archery Road in Clairwood.

The unsuspecting driver reportedly drove them to their destination and upon arrival, one of the suspects tasered the driver and demanded he hand over the vehicle.

After refusing to do so, the taxi driver decided to drive off with the armed robbers inside.

One of the suspects later tried to pull up the handbreak, while another attempted to strangle the driver, causing him to collide with a stationary truck. The collision caused the vehicle to spin out of control.

As the suspects exited the vehicle to escape, witnesses took action and managed to detain the men before members of the Brighton Beach Crime Prevention Unit arrested them.

Two others were later arrested in connection with the hijacking.

Further investigations revealed a firearm used in the crime had been reported stolen in 1998 in Vereeniging during a robbery.

Last week, police shot dead an alleged hijacking suspect and arrested two others during a shoot-out on the Mangosuthu Highway in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal.

The suspects allegedly approached a 39-year-old woman and her son and demanded the vehicle. The suspects allegedly fled with the car and were pursued by police.

The provincial commissioner, Lieutenant-General Mmamonnye Ngobeni, said: “Criminals should be warned that police will not hesitate to retaliate when they come under attack during the execution of their official duties”.

Read more:

Hijacking suspect killed, two arrested in KZN shoot-out

– Caxton News Service