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The South African Police Service (Saps) in the Free State has urged truck drivers and motorists to be vigilant following an increase in hijackings in the province.
This after police received reports about motorists who were hijacked by hitchhikers in the province on the R82 road between Sasolburg and Koppies, the R30 between Welkom and Orkney as well as the R59 between Parys and Sasolburg and the N1 stretch between Bloemfontein and Heuningspruit.
“Free State police are once more advising motorists to refrain from offering lifts to unknown people,” said Sgt Mahlomola Kareli on Thursday.
In a recent incident, police opened cases of hijacking after armed hitchhikers attacked a motorist and left him on the road.
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According to the police, there is also a group of armed men whose modus operandi is to use private vehicles fitted with blue lights, posing as traffic officials or Saps members and stopping motorists and truck drivers.
The suspects who are heavily armed would stop the driver of the targeted truck and two or three other suspects would get out of the vehicle and force the driver out from the truck at gunpoint.
“Motorists are urged to be vigilant and report any suspicious vehicles by calling the police emergency number 10111 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111 while driving to the nearest safe spot. All Saps highway patrol vehicles are marked and members will follow you if you indicate that you don’t feel safe to stop at that spot as directed.”
Fuel tankers have also become a target for hijackers in South Africa, data from vehicle-recovery and fleet-intelligence company Netstar on hijackings recently revealed, as the country battles with soaring fuel prices.
Other trends, according to Netstar, included a spike in vehicle thefts during the morning hours, followed by a surge in hijackings during the afternoon and the evening.
Gauteng was the main hotspot for vehicle crime, with 51.2% of reported vehicle theft cases having occurred in the province in June.
KwaZulu-Natal recorded the second most incidents with 23%, while the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape both registered around 6% of incidents.
READ MORE: Fuel tankers a target for hijackers amid rising petrol prices
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