An VW Transporter belonging to the British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) company was hijacked by four gunmen near the cemetery in Illovu Township at about 10am on Monday, 30 December. A BATSA staff member, who did not wish to be named, said the hijackers offloaded the stock, valued at R150,000, into a taxi to be transported to Umlazi and abandoned the Transporter.
“The taxi was intercepted on a dirt road at the back of Isipingo by the Metro Police dog unit and Toti SAP,” said the staff member. “The three gunmen fled, but one was tackled by a police dog and arrested, along with the driver and conductor of the taxi, which belongs to a warrant officer based at Toti SAP.”
Cellphones belonging to the BATSA driver and the stock was recovered. According to the BATSA staff member, the taxi was impounded, but released later that evening, along with the driver and conductor, who are employed by the policeman.
“That shouldn’t have happened,” said the staff member. “Only a court can release a vehicle that has been used in the commission of a crime. Also no government official, including a policeman, is allowed to own a taxi.”
The KZN SAP media centre did not confirm the taxi was owned by a SAPS member, but confirmed a 22-year-old suspect was arrested for carjacking and will appear in court on Thursday, 9 January. “It is alleged that on 30 December, 2013 at Illovu the victim (28) was delivering cigarettes at one of the tuck shops when he was approached by four unknown suspects who demanded his car keys,” said Captain Thulani Zwane. “They forced him into the back of the vehicle and drove towards the cemetery where they off-loaded the cigarettes and took his cellphones. They fled the scene in their vehicle.”
