An interview with two ex-convicts by Pro-Active South Africa has revealed how hijackers operate.
Ryno Schutte, Managing Director of Pro-Active South Africa, said both served time in jail and shed some valuable light on this criminal activity within South Africa. He said, “One needs to take into consideration that the information cannot be generalised, but there were huge similarities in the way criminal organisations operate.”
In Aureus, a 64-year-old driver became the victim of a hijacking on 28 February while driving along Steyer Street, and in another incident on 2 February, a 28-year-old man became a victim in a hijacking in Randfontein. This incident happened on the corner of the R28 and Railway Street.
Captain Appel Ernst, Randfontein Police spokesperson said although hijackings are not on the rise, “We want to make motorists more alert to the fact that they do happen, and they must not just stop. If motorists, such as delivery vehicle drivers, and people who stop to eat or use a toilet in a destitute area were more safety-conscious, hijackings could be avoided”.
Also Read: Shocking facts about hijacking revealed
Schutte said the first ex-con he interviewed started stealing out of desperation, while ex-convict 2 started stealing at a young age and was eventually deemed to be a hero by the youngsters in his neighbourhood. Prior to being arrested, he hijacked for the rush, power and money.
The ex-cons come from two different walks of life, but they both confirmed some sketchy but valuable insight into hijackings and organised crime.
Ex-convict 1 came from a rural area in the Eastern Cape and relocated to Gauteng to look for employment. He then started stealing to feed himself. “As humans we are pack-orientated and search for friends with the same aspirations and ideals in life,” he said.
He confirmed that they would receive a list of vehicles sought for the week via unknown channels, and then start searching. He added that most vehicles or targets are chosen not just minutes before the vehicle is stolen, but even days or weeks prior, depending on the make and value of the vehicle.
He said they study their victim’s daily routines and do the hijacking when the victim least expects it.
“The best thing for the hijacker was that it was not just the money they would receive for the vehicles when delivered, but also being able to sell any goods found in the vehicle like laptops, cellphones and jewellery,” said Schutte.
The suspects only receive about R5 000,00 for a German-manufactured vehicle.
Ex-convict 1 also said he was provided with a firearm by the “Bosses” to commit the crimes, and mentioned that he was apprehended once or twice, but it only cost R200 to get off.
When asked how many hijackings he committed before he was arrested, he admitted to five. He mentioned that he felt sorry for the victims, but he had a job to do. He also made a point of saying that hijacking a vehicle was just as nerve-wracking for him as it was for the victims.
Ex-convict 2’s background was completely different. He was born in Gauteng and said his criminal skills grew from “strength to strength”. He started stealing at the age of 16, and at 19 he started hijacking vehicles, even though he did not have a licence.
He refused to tell us how many vehicles he had hijacked before being arrested. He also did not want to give too many details about the inner operations of the “team” he worked with. However, he confirmed the other ex-con’s information that they receive a hot-list of vehicles required from higher up in the organisation.
“If time ran out to find a suitable vehicle as requested on the list, they would hijack a random vehicle of the same make but not necessarily the model or colour that was requested,” added Schutte. “They would be paid less for this vehicle, or it might be taken to a chop shop”.
One thing that stood out was that a R500 000 vehicle would be sold to a dealer for a mere R7 000, according to ex-convict 2.
When asked why so little was paid, ex-con 2 explain that they did the dirty work by hijacking the vehicle. It is in fact the dealers and the “Bosses” that make the money as they need to either change/ clone all the details of the vehicles or export the vehicles to neighbouring countries.
One of the audience members commented that he would gladly pay R7 000 for a R500 000 vehicle. This confirmed the reason why vehicles are being hijacked or stolen – there is a market and a demand, and this fuels the crime.
The comment regarding the amount being paid for a R500 000 vehicle made us quiver, to say the least, because it seems that a suspect sees your life as worth only R7 000.
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