Truck occupant tells of horrifying hijacking ordeal involving an EMPD officer on N12

An EMPD officer and one of his civilian accomplice have been charged with attempted hijacking after they were allegedly caught red-handed hijacking a delivery truck on the N12 East at around 3:30pm on Thursday (May 14).

The City of Ekurhuleni’s MMC for Community Safety, Frans Mmoko, confirmed that the arrested officer is stationed in the EMPD’s Anti-Cable Theft and Loss Control Unit and was, during the hijacking incident, driving a white Polo sedan fitted with police blue lights and mixed number plates – one plate belongs to the JMPD and the other to the EMPD.

How events unfolded

Speaking to the Advertiser about the terrifying ordeal, the truck driver’s delivery assistant, Calvin Ncube, said the driver of the police Polo flashed blue lights and wailed the siren to signal to the driver of the truck loaded with boxes of face masks to stop as he was driving along the freeway just after Rondebult Road, heading to a warehouse in Benoni.

“As the freeway shoulder in the area is not wide enough for a truck to pull over on, the driver continued driving until he eventually pulled over to the side of the freeway near the Atlas Road off-ramp. The suspects, who we initially thought were police doing their normal random stop-and-check duties, approached and asked to see the driving documents, asked questions about the condition of the truck and ownership of the cargo,” said the delivery assistant.

Then the driver and his assistant were pointed with firearms and forced out of the truck. The driver was forced onto the seat of the suspects’ getaway Mercedes-Benz and the assistant was forced onto the back seat of the police Polo.

“One of the suspects took the truck keys from the driver and tried to drive the truck, but failed to do so. All of a sudden I heard one of the suspects in the Polo shouting ‘let’s go, kushubile la!’ and both cars drove away at a high speed, with us.”

The delivery assistant said he thought he was going to die when the Polo he was in drove at a high speed, wove in and out of traffic, hitting and flipping over the barrier alongside the road before it eventually crashed into the truck.

Terrifying ordeal

“I was forced to lie on the back seat of the Polo with my head pressed down against the seat as the driver drove at a high speed. They had taken my cellphone and I was very scared and worried that should the police open fire I would also be killed. There was an instance when the car made a quick U-turn to drive in the opposite direction, hit the pavement and flipped. Luckily, it didn’t overturn.

“To be honest, it took me a while to understand what was going on because I was 100 per cent convinced that these were police officers doing their job. But when we were forced into their cars at gunpoint I started to realise that no something was amiss. Thereafter it was a big drama,” said Ncube.

He said apart from the emotional shock and crashing against the seats, he didn’t suffer any serious injuries. The truck driver returned to the crime scene and also appeared to have not suffered any visible injuries.

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Foiled hijacking

According to the Boksburg North police spokesperson, Justice Ramaube, Boksburg North SAPS crime prevention police officers were patrolling the area when they spotted the suspicious police Polo and a white Mercedes-Benz pulling the truck over.

Sgt Buti Kunene, Const Moloko Matumba and Const Nkosinathi Mkhonza proceeded to the scene and as they were approaching the two getaway cars started to drive away in different directions, apparently to evade arrest.

Police gave chase, which resulted in the arrests of the EMPD officer and one of his accomplices after their Polo crashed into a stationary truck waiting for the traffic light to turn green at the corner of Rolls Royce Street and Atlas Road, in Impala Park.

One of the suspects in the Polo managed to jump out of their getaway car and flee before the crash. The suspects in the Mercedes-Benz later dropped the truck driver off at an undisclosed location and they were not found.

Firearms, ammunition confiscated

Police officers found a firearm loaded with 14 live rounds, which was issued to the police officer in question by the EMPD, and an unlicensed firearm with its serial number filed off, which was loaded with nine live rounds. The officer’s uniform was also found in the Polo.

The suspects are expected to appear in court soon.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the white Polo with blue lights was involved in a couple of previous truck hijackings in Ekurhuleni.

Mmoko said the law must take its course and condemned acts of crime among the EMPD.

“We cannot harbour criminals in a law enforcement structure. We remain resolute in flushing thugs out of the service. Our people need policemen and women who uphold the law to protect them and ensure law and order in the metro,” Mmoko pointed out.

The Boksburg North SAPS station commander, Col Khumbulani Mbatha, applauded all the members involved in this breakthrough.

“It’s a huge success and I thank them for the job well done, while not forgetting to say their efforts was indeed equal to their tasks,” said Mbatha in a statement.

The arrested pair was allegedly part of a group of about four suspects who managed to get away. Police are now tracing these suspects. Anyone with information that may lead to the arrests of the wanted suspects is encouraged to contact the SAPS Crime Stop number, 08600 10111.

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