A South African police constable has been arrested for allegedly hijacking a VW Polo and possessing a stolen BMW.
The South African Police Services (SAPS) confirmed the arrest in a media statement released by the Office of the Province Commissioner of Mpumalanga, detailing an incident involving a person who was reportedly hijacked this past weekend.
Private security company Cartrack was instrumental in the arrest as it helped locate the suspect and recover the stolen vehicle.
What happened
A 37-year-old man was travelling from Lothair towards Ermelo in Mpumalanga on Saturday, 15 June, when he stopped at a petrol station and allegedly offered a lift to two men while refueling.
The two men subsequently forced the victim into the back seat of his Polo and drove along the N11 towards Hendrina while pressuring him to provide the PIN to his bank cards.
The suspects then contacted an accomplice, who met up with them in Breyten while driving a BMW with another passenger in the car.
The victim was forced to withdraw an undisclosed amount of cash from an ATM before the suspects tried to push him into the back of the BMW.
It was at this time that the victim managed to escape and disappeared into the dark, where he made his way to a police station in Ermelo and reported the crime.
Cartrack was quick to respond to the incident and provided information to the police as to the whereabouts of the stolen VW Polo.
“A chase then ensued and the one driving the VW Polo got away and abandoned the vehicle then fled to evade arrest. It appears as if the driver was alone at that time,” said the SAPS.
The next day (16 June), the victim informed the police that he had seen the BMW that was part of the hijacking at a car wash in Ermelo.
SAPS were quickly dispatched to the scene where they found the suspect as well as the BMW, which was confiscated as part of the investigation.
It was discovered that the BMW was reportedly stolen a few days earlier, which resulted in the suspect being charged with possession of a suspected stolen vehicle.
The male suspect is a constable attached to the Ermelo Police Station who also works as a court orderly at the Ermelo Magistrate’s Court.
The constable was brought before this same court on Tuesday, 18 June, to face charges of car hijacking and possession of a stolen vehicle.
The SAPS stated that it is still in pursuit of the other suspects, who remain at large, and it encourages anyone with information as to the suspects’ whereabouts to call the Crime Stop number at 086 001 0111 or send information via the MySAPS App.
All received information is treated as confidential and callers can opt to remain anonymous.
“The behaviour of the Police Constable has been strongly condemned by the Police in Mpumalanga and internal disciplinary steps will be instituted against the member,” said SAPS Colonel Donald Mdhluli.
“Thanks to Cartrack Company for their assistance with information that was operationalized by the men and women in Blue, resulting in the recovery of the VW Polo.”
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