Hijacking victims held captive for two hours in Umbumbulu
Seven armed men forced four men to lie face down in the rear of the truck and drove to a township where the tracking device was removed.
AFTER a delivery, a truck owner-driver and three employees were held captive at gunpoint for about two hours when his white Hino truck was hijacked in Umbumbulu on October 1.
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The harrowing incident occurred at around 17:00 after the eThekwini-based driver was confronted by seven armed men shortly after delivering tiles to a home in Umbumbulu.
According to Reaction Unit SA’s (Rusa) Prem Balram, when the suspects blocked the truck’s path, they produced firearms and ordered the driver out of the vehicle.
“He was then forced into the rear of the truck with his employees while one of the suspects drove towards an unidentified township. During the journey, the suspects allegedly stopped to speak to several people and picked up additional individuals in the hijacked vehicle. The four victims were forced to lie face down in the rear of the truck while the journey continued,” said Balram.
The truck’s tracking device was removed while the truck was stripped in the presence of the victims. Balram said that the suspects offered the driver his medication, which was found inside the vehicle, and told him his insurance would compensate him for the loss of the truck.
“The victims were released at approximately 19:00 in Umlazi. They borrowed a cellphone to contact their families, who then contacted Rusa for assistance. Reaction officers travelled to Umlazi in an attempt to locate the four victims but were redirected to Umlazi Mega City after learning that the victims had been offered a lift to the shopping centre,” said Balram.
The vehicle has not been located.
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