Goods transport service providers have become the latest target of criminals operating in Brakpan.
Local police have reported an increase in hijackings of transport trucks and vehicles in the vicinity of Kwa-Thema Square in Maryvlei and the surrounding area.
Transport service providers in the Brakpan, Springs and Kwatsaduza areas, including small-time operators such as bakkie owners who use their own vehicle to collect or deliver goods, are urged to be vigilant.
According to the Brakpan SAPS, the perpetrators are two or more men who obtain the details of a company or person who deals in the transport of goods, and phone the owner or operator to arrange for goods to be collected and delivered.
They make the necessary arrangements, such as date and time, and the meeting place is usually Kwa-Thema Square.
Also read: Driver hijacked at Springs West Road traffic light
After arriving at the shopping centre, the truck driver is informed by the perpetrators that the goods to be transported are at another location a short distance away.
The driver is asked to drive them to the location or to follow them. The driver is then taken to a veld where the truck is stolen.
There have also been cases where drivers delivering goods are scammed with the perpetrators convincing them they have the wrong address and they should follow them to where the goods must be delivered.
They too are led to an isolated area and then the truck or vehicle and its cargo are stolen.
One such incident, which was reported in the Herald, took place on October 4 and saw a truck driver held captive for approximately three hours after he was hijacked.
According to information received, the driver was en route to deliver a forklift at a construction site when the hijackers pounced.
He stopped the white Mercedes-Benz truck in which he was travelling and was contacted by the person with whom he was supposed to meet to make the delivery.
At about 14:30, after waiting for about 20 to 30 minutes, the driver was approached by a man wearing blue overalls who told him the forklift was to be delivered to the construction site where he works.
The driver then accompanied the man to an area where they were met by another man who allegedly had the keys to the site where the forklift was to be stored.
Also read: Hijacker sentenced to 15 years behind bars
The man in the blue overalls then pointed a gun at the driver.
The hijackers drove off with the victim, who was seated between the pair, and his head was covered.
He was driven to a field where he was forced out of the truck and his legs and hands were bound with cable ties.
One of the hijackers drove off in the truck while the other kept a watch over the victim.
After about three hours, the remaining hijacker took off with the driver’s cellphone and bank card.
He told the victim to stay put as he was going to check whether he (the victim) had any money in the bank.
After about 15 minutes, the victim was able to free himself and sought help.
Since then, four similar cases have been reported, with the most recent having taken place last Wednesday at 15:30.
Reports from police reveal a truck driver and his assistant, who was sent to collect a construction vehicle from an address in Withok Estates to transport it to Witbank, were hijacked and robbed by two men.
One of the men approached the pair along 10th Street and told them he had been sent to take them to where the construction vehicle was located.
He got into the truck and the driver followed his directions.
While travelling, they saw a man walking on the side of the road and the man told the driver to stop.
After pulling over, the man then pointed a gun at the driver while the pedestrian threatened the assistant driver with a firearm.
Also read: Bread company truck hijacked in Kwa-Thema
The assistant driver was tied up and forced into the back of the truck, while the driver was seated in the middle of the two gunmen.
They were driven to a secluded area where they were both taken out of the truck and forced to walk up a hill at gunpoint.
They were instructed to lie on the ground and their feet were tied.
One of the hijackers was left to watch over them and he told them he would only let them go if they give him money.
He took their cellphones and transferred R5 000 from the driver’s account. He also made the pair call their employer and relatives to deposit more money.
After the hijacker left, the victims untied themselves and ran to the road where they stopped a passing motorist.
Their employer was contacted and informed of the hijacking and the pair was taken to the Brakpan Police Station.
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