Ekurhuleni police arrested a 32-year-old man in the Etwatwa area after he was found in in possession of a motor vehicle which was hijacked from its owner.
When the 32-year-old man was cornered by members of the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD), he reportedly told the law enforcement agents that the Hyundai Accent belonged to his friend, and he was only taking the car to go shopping.
“The EMPD officers on patrol received a tip-off about a reported hijacked motor vehicle from a well-known vehicle tracking company and the information was followed up where the robbed motor-vehicle, was tracked down,” said EMPD spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Kelebogile Thepa.
“The vehicle in question, the grey Hyundai Accent sedan, fitting the same description as given by the vehicle tracking company, was spotted and tactically approached at the corner of Chris Hani and Madikizela streets,” Thepa said.
“The vehicle was occupied by a 32-year-old male, behind the steering wheel, who claimed that it belongs to a friend and he was just on his way to the nearest supermarket.”
Thepa said the Hyundai sedan was thoroughly checked, and the EMPD officers discovered that the vehicle was reported robbed/hijacked at gunpoint from the owner in Ivory Park.
During the hijacking incident, the owner of the Hyundai Accent was shot and injured.
“An attempt to get hold of a friend was made. However, the friend was nowhere to be found. The suspect was immediately arrested and detained at the Etwatwa police station, charged with the possession of a reported hijacked motor vehicle and he will soon appear before the relevant magistrate’s court,” said Thepa.
She added that the recovered vehicle was taken to a police yard for safekeeping, pending further investigations.
Earlier this year, a 32-year-old man was arrested by members of the EMPD while driving a stolen Ford Ranger Wildtrak double cab vehicle.
At the time, Thepa said the 32-year-old insisted he was only taking the vehicle to a car wash.
IOL