In order to combat serious and violent crime, excellent detective work ensured arrests in order to create safer communities in the Western Cape. Since October 2017 an escalation in the hijacking of Uber and metered taxis was reported in the province. The bulk of the incidents were reported in the Blue Downs cluster of police stations, namely Kuils River, Kleinvlei, and Mfuleni. Incidents also occurred in the Brackenfell police precinct, in Stellenbosch, Macassar and in Somerset West.
The suspects would order taxis under false pretences and when the driver arrived they would ask to be driven to a certain point. On their way there, one of the suspects, who usually sat in the front of the vehicle with the driver, would point a gun at the driver and the one at the back would choke the victim at the same time. Thereafter they would typically rob the driver of his cell phones and other valuables, pull him out of the vehicle and drive away with the vehicle. In some incidents the suspects ordered the driver to get into the boot of the car and, after robbing the victim, they would abandon the car and disappear with the victim’s belongings.
In all the incidents the suspects were described as consisting of one, two or three men. All 17 cases are linked to incidents which took place during the months October, November and December 2017.
On 2018-01-03 and 2018-01-04 the three suspects, between the ages of 21 and 29 years, were arrested and they will all make their first appearance at the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court on 2018-01-08. The suspects were nabbed after thorough investigations by members of the Provincial Anti-Hijacking Task Team and members of the Brackenfell Detective Services.
Teamwork between the task team and cluster detectives yielded positive results and the commitment of our police members to create a safe and secure environment for our communities was displayed by all involved.
The Provincial Commissioner of the Western Cape, Lieutenant General Khombinkosi Jula, lauded the efforts of the members and commended them for their dedication to their task.
We urge anyone who has more information about these crimes, or who may have fallen victim to these perpetrators to come forward and report similar incidents to the investigating officer, Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Pretorius on contact number 082 777 8499.
All information will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
Read more on Arrive Alive
South Africa Today – Accidents
.jpg "Safety of flight crew and passengers a top priority for ATNS")
