Here are some of the tricks hijackers are using to get you to stop

Just days after The Citizen reported on Grocery trucks being ‘under attack’ by hijackers, The Road Freight Association has warned of several hijacking trends for motorists to watch out for.

The association noted an increase in hijackings and said the industry was under threat.

What should I watch out for?

Road Freight Association CEO Gavin Kelly told The Citizen hijackers use different techniques when stealing vehicles, making them harder to prevent.

READ ALSO: ‘Under attack’: Grocery trucks targeted by hijackers

He said drivers should be aware of the following ways methods:

• Pretend that their vehicle has issues and stop trucks/cars to ask for assistance
• Create an “accident” between vehicles or pedestrians and ask for assistance
• Say they are being chased by criminals and request a ride away from the scene
• Create a medical emergency and request assistance
• Create false accidents / incidents / road closures
• Claim the truck has crashed into their vehicle and request the vehicle to stop
• Claim someone else crashed into the truck
• Claim a route is closed and send the truck on a route towards a high-jack group impersonating authorities or emergency services
• Pretend to be police / traffic and do a routine vehicle stop
• Claim the vehicle is unroadworthy and must follow the police vehicle
• Claim defects on the vehicle and “impound”
• Use violence
• Pointing of firearms/use of firearms to force it to stop
• Barricading of road surface with objects that can damage tyres, truck body
• Crashing into the truck/car to force a collision and stop
• Dropping of heavy items from overhead structures
• Use of explosives on roadway
• Strangers at scenes of crashes / long queues on roads
• Front as construction/authorities involved in clearing scene.

READ ALSO: Cop and robbers: Officer among 16 held for truck-jacking and tyre theft

False instructions from depot/route management

“Drivers should further be aware of any instructions that deviate from the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of their respective companies, or where last-minute changes to routes, deliveries or instructions are received. All these must be confirmed with known entities at their respective scheduling divisions,” said Kelly.