Watch out for new truck hijacking method
Police are warning of a new truck hijacking modus operandi.
A truck was hijacked by four bogus police officers in what police have dubbed a new modus operandi for truck hijacking.
Police spokesperson Captain Colette Weilbach said this happened on Friday when the four men allegedly impersonated police officers and used a siren to pull the truck over in broad daylight.
The hijackers were dressed in civilian clothes and drove an unmarked car between 11:00 and 13:00 on Baviaans Road and Stormvoël Road at the N1 intersection, she said.
“They informed the truck driver that the truck was reported as hijacked. They took the truck at gun point and forced the driver into their vehicle.”
She said the driver was later found tied to a tree in Diepsloot.
Weilbach said four similar incidents were reported in recent weeks where hijackers distracted truck drivers.
“The truck drivers reported to the police that a passenger in a passing vehicle indicated to them that there was something wrong with the truck at the back. All the truck drivers described how they stopped to investigate. The drivers did not expect any foul play as the vehicle that indicated the problem drove off.”
Once the driver stopped, a second car with two to three men would approach the parked truck and hijack it.
The truck drivers and their crews would be forced into another vehicle and later dropped off at different locations, Weilbach said.
She offered the following tips to truck drivers and companies:
• Ensure that the truck is in a good condition.
• Enforce a “no stop” policy for drivers when possible, especially within two to three hours of the trip origin.
• Avoid stopping at remote places.
• Remember, there is safety in motion. The most dangerous times for hijacking are when a vehicle is stopped.
• Drivers must alternate between routes, where possible.
• Inform the dispatcher of the route and then follow it. If the route changes the driver should inform someone.
• Park in secure areas with ample lighting.
• Only stop in designated rest areas where there are other trucks parked.
“Crime prevention is better than crime detection.”
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