Escort vehicle driver shot in Ekurhuleni truck hijacking

The driver of a vehicle escorting a truck with a cargo of copper was shot by hijackers in Withok Estates in Ekurhuleni on Monday.

According to police information, the man was shot in the leg. Cases of truck hijacking, kidnapping and attempted murder have been opened.

The truck driver, who is employed at a local scrap metal dealer, left the premises at around 11:00 to make a delivery at a business in Geluksdal.

He was accompanied by the security escort, who was travelling in a white Ford Bantam. The truck driver was pulled over at the corner of Denne Road and Koot Street by a man wearing a metro police uniform, and the escort driver followed suit and stopped behind the truck.

The truck driver noticed a white Toyota Corolla Quest parked nearby with two occupants, also wearing metro police uniforms.

These men exited the vehicle and approached the escort driver. The officer who pulled the truck driver over asked him for his licence, which the driver produced.

As the officer made his way around the back of the truck, the driver was startled by the sound of gunshots.

He opened the truck door and saw a fight had ensued between the officers and the escort driver. The truck driver watched as the security escort was dragged to the Corolla, and saw that he was bleeding.

When the truck driver tried to make a run for it, he was threatened with a gun. He was forced into the back of the Corolla along with the injured security escort and one of the hijackers.

The hijackers drove around with them for some time but stopped at one point to put the bleeding man into the boot of the vehicle. The truck driver later told police the hijackers had complained about the amount of blood in the car.

The victims were later dropped off in a cemetery in Kwa-Thema, and were robbed of their personal belongings including cellphones and cash.

The truck driver sought help at a nearby house, and the injured security escort was taken to hospital by ambulance.

The stolen Mercedes-Benz truck and copper have a combined value of about R750 000.

In a separate incident on October 3, a Leachville man was also held captive by hijackers.

The Jacaranda Street resident arrived home at around 19:40 and opened the front gates. As he was getting back into his white Volkswagen Polo, he saw a fast-approaching car.

He hurried into his vehicle and locked the doors, and the car stopped behind him. Two gunmen appeared on each side of the car and attempted to open the doors.

The resident was forced to unlock his car when the men fired shots. They dragged him to their vehicle and covered his face with a T-shirt. The hijackers searched him and took his cellphone and wristwatch. They also stole a large sum of money by accessing his banking app.

The resident was dropped off in Vosloorus, where his vehicle was later recovered. Cases of hijacking and kidnapping are under investigation in connection with this case.