POLOKWANE – According to provincial Hawks spokesperson, Lt Matimba Maluleke, hijackers would follow a motorist to a parking lot and after disembarking from the vehicle, they would remove one of the number plates and wait.
“When you come back and drive off, they follow you. They then overtake you, displaying your number plate out of their window as if you just lost it and they want to give it back to you. When you stop to get your number plate back, guns come out and they take the car, maybe even take you and your car. It’s a very well rehearsed and organised plan and everything happens very quickly. Other motorists may not even be aware what you have been hijacked.”
The trend is among the many latest schemes employed by car hijackers.
Another method used by criminals, is to place a doll or teddy bear dressed like a little child next to the road. Unsuspecting motorists would stop to “rescue the poor child abandoned on the road”.
Once you stop, the hijackers will pounce on you and in the wink of an eye, the car will be gone.
Another method of hijacking happens when criminals throw eggs on car windscreens to obstruct the driver’s view.
Polokwane police spokesperson, Capt Ntobeng Phala, has warned motorists to be vigilant of these scams.
“If someone throws an egg on to your windscreen, do not attempt to use the vehicles’ wipers to remove it. This will cause a serious problem as the windscreen will be completely smeared. Your vision will be affected, making visibility poor. Simply proceed with your journey and stop at a safer place where you can clean the windscreen,” said Phala.
Motorists are also advised to ignore other drivers pointing at their wheels, hoodwinking them that their tyres have been punctured.
Phala has a rhetorical question on the matter: “Why should you panic about your tyres when you are convinced that your tyres are still in good condition? If someone pulls this trick on you, ignore the person and proceed with your trip. This is one of the new tricks used by criminals to hijack cars.”
