A meter taxi driver was hijacked at gunpoint in Roosboom on Thursday (July 30) at about 10pm. The following day, police were involved in a shoot-out with six suspects, one of whom was arrested and linked to the hijacking.
According to provincial police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala, the taxi was travelling along the R103 in Roosboom, transporting two passengers. The driver stopped in Roosboom and while waiting for the passengers to pay, one of them pulled out a firearm and held him up at gunpoint.
Also read: 55-year-old arrested for being in possession of 220kg of dagga
The two passengers robbed the driver of his cell-phone and a portable radio before driving off in his vehicle.
The carjacking was later reported at Ladysmith police station.
Following up on information regarding the carjacking in Ladysmith, Greenwood Park police officers went out to the Boxwood informal settlement in Sea Cow Lake on Friday (July 31), searching for the suspects involved. The vehicle was found abandoned. The officers then spotted six men lying on the ground on a footpath between the informal dwellings.
The men got up and began shooting at the police.
Following the shoot-out that ensued, the suspects fled in between the informal homes while being pursued by police. A 24-year-old was arrested and found to be in possession of an unlicensed firearm with 11 rounds of ammunition. The suspect was positively linked to the carjacking.
The remaining suspects are still being sought by police.
The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Jula, heaped praise on the police officers for arresting the carjacker. “Our police officers must be commended for their resilience. Operations that have been put in place to monitor the activities of criminals are bearing fruit. Our officers are able to follow the direction taken by criminals as an escape route, and alert police stations along the route to intercept them,” he said.
Click to receive news links via WhatsApp. Or for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Join us there!
