Police in Gauteng have arrested eleven suspects after catching them red-handed offloading stock from a hijacked truck at a Gerhardsville plot near Centurion on Tuesday afternoon.
According to police spokesperson Captain Dave Miller, the arrests were made after members of the Lyttelton SAPS received information about the hijacked truck on May 2, 2023.
The truck had been hijacked on the N1 highway between Botha and John Voster drive.
“The tracking company was hot on the heels of the suspects and were on the R511 towards Gerhardsville plots,” said Miller. “The members of Lyttelton SAPS were joined by local security companies and a multidisciplinary operation was underway.”
Following a tip-off, the SAPS team rushed to a plot in the Gerhardsville area, where they found the hijacked goods being offloaded.
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Two vehicles attempted to flee the scene, but a high-speed chase resulted in the arrest of all the suspects.
Upon further investigation, a large sum of cash was found in one of the getaway vehicles.
The hijacked truck and all the stolen goods were recovered.
The suspects are now facing charges of hijacking and possession of suspected stolen property, while the source of the cash found in one of the vehicles is being investigated.
Brigadier T P Matlala, the station commander of Lyttelton SAPS, commended all the members involved in the arrest of the truck hijacking syndicate.
“Our forensic teams and detective offices are busy on the scene to follow up all the available information,” he said.
“We are committed to ensuring that the suspects will face the full might of the legal system.”
The arrests of these suspects will serve as a warning to those who engage in such criminal activities and the SAPS will continue to work tirelessly to bring criminals to justice.
