Part good police work and part luck led to the arrest of three suspects that were involved in the hijacking of a truck on Monday night 20 January that contained approximately R10 million worth of goods.
The thieves stashed their loot in three units of a storage unit rental facility in Roodepoort but it was discovered in a joint operation between SAPS and JMPD after a tip-off.
As law enforcement agencies worked since early on 22 January to remove the stolen goods and transport it to the police pound, three men arrived at approximately 2pm just as officers were finishing the operation.
The three suspects approached one of the units that has been cleaned out by the police and already closed up again.
Officers confronted the men and recognised them from CCTV footage that positively identified them as the hijackers who dropped the goods of at the storage facility late Monday night. The three suspects promptly were arrested.
The men will appear in the Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court soon.
R10 million worth of goods found
Stolen goods worth in the vicinity of R10 million were recovered in a joint operation between the JMPD Crime Prevention Unit and SAPS at a storage unit rental facility in Roodepoort.
The find came after a tip-off in the wake of a truck hijacking that took place on Monday night 20 January on the N3 towards Limpopo.
A truck of the company Prime Logistix carrying goods for the Edcon group was pulled over on the N3 by a white Fortuner that had blue lights and sirens mounted. The driver was asked for his driver’s licence by four men dressed in brown uniforms resembling traffic police outfits. He was overpowered, bundled into the Fortuner and later dropped off close to the Orlando Stadium.
JMPD and SAPS received a tip-off and went to the storage unit business in Roodepoort on the morning of 22 January where they found three units filled to the brim with the stolen goods from the truck that was hijacked on Monday night.
According to JMPD spokesperson Wayne Minnaar this follows two recent similar discoveries of stolen goods in storage units in Randburg and Midrand. Six suspects have been arrested two weeks ago and investigations are under way to establish whether there is a connection between this most recent discovery and the prior ones.
Goods found included mostly expensive perfumes (some of which have not even reached the shelves yet), linen, bedding, clothing and furniture.
Minnaar also says that the owners of the storage facility also will be questioned and charges might be brought against them.
“So far this is one of the biggest busts of its kind in Roodepoort, ” says Minnaar.
