Criminals posing as law enforcers made off with a cargo of liquor valued at R1.2m after hijacking a truck driver in Dalpark on July 19.
According to information received from local police, the driver was pulled over at the corner of Athlone Avenue and Heidelberg Road at around 20:00 by a man wearing a police reflector jacket.
The driver stopped and the ‘officer’ told him to get out of the truck.
He then followed the man to a marked metro police vehicle, a white Volkswagen Polo, with two occupants.
Both of these men were also wearing reflector jackets.
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One of the men threatened the driver with a gun and instructed him to get in the car. He was told to lie down and the hijackers drove off with him.
After about half an hour, the hijackers stopped and tied the driver’s hands with rope. His face was covered with a hat and he was taken into a house.
The driver was then robbed of his cellphone. The men demanded the Pin for his banking app, after which they transferred money from his account.
The assailants then forced the driver to drink liquor. He told police he became intoxicated and was unable to recall what happened next.
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He did, however, remember hearing the men talking on a cellphone.
It is not clear when or where the driver was released, but he was able to seek help and contacted his place of employment.
The truck’s horse was recovered in Wadeville, Germiston, but its two trailers were missing.
Each trailer is valued at about R400 000.
The trailers contained 36 pallets of alcohol.