Johannesburg - Members of the Secunda Flying Squad have arrested a 32-year-old man after he was found with paraphernalia that is used to execute vehicle theft and hijacking.
The law enforcement officers were patrolling the R29 near Leandra when they spotted a Toyota Corolla, which they deemed suspicious.
The officers stopped the vehicle, and two of the occupants immediately alighted the vehicle even before the officers could address them.
The driver was apprehended, and the officers began to search the vehicle.
Their officers were vindicated when their suspicions were confirmed as they found an unlicensed firearm with ammunition, a signal jammer, traffic officer uniforms, false number plates, and blue lights in the vehicle.
The 32-year-old who has been arrested will appear before the Leslie Periodical Court on Monday, 6 June 2022, facing charges of impersonation, possession of an unlicensed firearm, and ammunition. He has also been charged with possession of suspected stolen property.
The firearm has been taken for ballistic testing to confirm if it is not linked to any other recorded crimes. The vehicle has also been impounded for verification.
Hijackings involving perpetrators masquerading as police officers are seen to be on the rise. Criminals posing as law enforcement officers in unmarked vehicles use blue lights akin to those of the SAPS to stop unsuspecting road users and then go on to rob or hijack victims.
Last week, IOL reported about five suspects who were arrested using the same modus operandi in Gauteng. The suspects had in their possession police uniforms, unlicensed firearms, and ammunition.
A team comprised of the SAPS Tactical Response Team, Gauteng Crime Intelligence, West Rand Flying Squad, Tracker Connect, Vision Tactical, Guardmax Security, and BCI Security apprehended the suspects aged between 26 and 36.
The SAPS has intensified highway patrols in an effort to try and curb the rising incidents.
When Police Minister Bheki Cele released the crime stats last week Friday, he indicated that hijacking crimes had increased by 19.7% from January 2021 to March 2022, with 5 151 carjackings. The majority of these car hijackings occurred in the Gauteng province.
IOL