‘R20 taxi fare’ suspects arrested
Following the arrest, police managed to link the suspects to an ongoing murder case.
POLICE recently made a breakthrough when they arrested the two suspects wanted in connection with the kidnapping and hijacking of a 24-year-old uMgeni Park resident in August. The men not only threatened to shoot Kyle Lupke, but brazenly handed him R20 of his own money as taxi fare after they dumped him in KwaMashu.
Police have since managed to the link the suspects to an ongoing murder case.
The Greenwood SAPS detectives of the TRIO Crimes Unit (which includes serious crimes such as hijackings, house and business robberies) managed to make the arrest on 16 September, while conducting a stop and search operation in the Inanda area.
“By investigating the modus operandi, we determined that many of the hijacked vehicles have been abandoned in the Inanda area. We then decided to carry out a stop and search operation in the area and it paid off,” said one of the arresting officers, Const Mzothuele Ngubane.
In less than an hour they had managed to nab the suspects.
“They were driving in the hijacked vehicle. It was unbelievable,” said Ngubane, who has been in the police force for the past seven years.
During the operation, three other hijacked vehicles had also been recovered as well as various stolen items, such as cell phones and laptops. Eight suspects in total had been arrested on the day.
“While interrogating the suspects, one of them confessed that they had been involved in a separate hijacking in Effingham Heights. While driving through Inanda a shoot out ensued with police, and while the suspects attempted to flee police, they lost control of the vehicle and crashed into three pedestrians,” said Const Nhlanhla Mhlonga, who hails from Avoca.
One of the pedestrians died.
The hijacking suspects are expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. They have been charged with hijacking, kidnapping and murder.
