Police in North West have made a breakthrough in a violent truck hijacking case that left a driver assaulted and diesel worth R200,000 stolen.
Two suspects were nabbed in Ledig village near Sun City during an intelligence-driven operation on Thursday, 20 February.
The suspects appeared before the Mogwase Magistrate’s Court on Monday, and they were remanded in custody. They face multiple charges, including hijacking, kidnapping, theft, and assault.
According to police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone, the crime took place on 12 December 2024 near Boshoek, outside Phokeng.
Three armed suspects, driving a silver Volkswagen Polo, allegedly targeted a truck transporting diesel.
“The truck driver was held at gunpoint before being taken to a remote area, where he was assaulted and robbed of his cellphone and cash,” Mokgwabone revealed.
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The hijackers later abandoned the driver, who managed to locate his truck with the keys still inside.
A dedicated law enforcement team, consisting of the Provincial Investigation Unit, Rustenburg Tactical Response Team (TRT), Public Order Police (POP), and Bojanala Platinum Sub-District 2 Crime Intelligence, launched a manhunt that led to the suspects’ arrest.
During the raid, police seized a pellet gun suspected to have been used in the crime, as well as the silver VW Polo identified as the getaway vehicle.
North West’s acting police commissioner, Major General Patrick Asaneng, praised the teamwork that led to the arrests and assured that investigations are still ongoing.
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