Hijacked truck, load of sanitisers and soup worth R10m recovered in Pretoria

Police in Pretoria has recovered a hijacked truck packed with sanitisers and soup worth a whopping R10 million in Lynnwood.

Police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubela said that the truck was recovered on Tuesday during an intelligence-driven operation to bust criminals taking advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said eight suspects were bust when the police followed intelligence information to trace and track the suspects with the truck.

He said he could not say if the stolen goods were linked to those stolen from a school in Enkangala or other parts of the country.

Schools have been broken into across the country and criminals have been getting away with personal protective equipment meant for pupils when schools reopen next week.

These crimes caused a public outcry from many parents who expressed frustration and disgust towards the criminals who were willing to put children at risk of contracting Covid-19, for the benefit of their pockets.

Makhubela said: “The police are still investigating to find out more information about the goods. At the moment not much is known about where they came from or were headed to.”

He said it is alleged that the truck was hijacked somewhere in Midrand, but that too will still be confirmed by police investigations.

He said the suspects will appear at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court, where they’ll be charged with hijacking.

Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela commended the work done by the Gauteng police and urged the community to continue to work with the police.

Mawela also issued a strong warning to those who think that the normal day-to-day police operations are on the back burner due to lockdown.

He said criminals should think again if they thought the lockdown meant the police were sleeping.

“Gauteng is not a place to hide in,” he warned. IOL