Yesterday morning between the hours of 08h00 and 09h00, several motorists standing in rush-hour traffic on the M1-M2 freeway split in Joburg were sitting ducks when they were robbed at gunpoint by a gang of criminals.
The armed assailants took advantage of the gridlock traffic to move from one car to the next and rob victims of their valuables such as cellphones, according to a report by Sowetan Live.
After receiving notice of the ongoing robbery, the Joburg Metro Police (JMPD) immediately dispatched officers to the scene to search for suspects.
Upon their arrival, the officers saw a group of individuals fleeing into a shaft on the freeway embankment. These individuals are believed to be part of illegal mining activities in the area, and the JMPD suspects that the gun-wielding robbers were among them.
The JMPD has since arrested eight suspects in connection with the robberies but has been unable to establish a link between those in custody and the illegal miners.
Xolani Fihla, spokesperson for the JMPD, said these types of incidents are unprecedented in the city.
“We never see these types of incidences in the City of Johannesburg. Of course, we do get reports of people being robbed on the freeway but it’s not during peak hour periods, it’s usually at night when vehicles have broken down,” Fihla told Newzroom Afrika.
“We know of one specific hotspot [for robberies] in the City of Johannesburg which is the N12 in Eldorado Park, so what happened this morning is really a surprise.”
The JMPD has yet to track down any of the victims involved in the robberies and compels anyone with information on the event to come forward.
“We are urging anyone who was a victim involved in this incident to immediately report it to the police so that the matter can be investigated thoroughly,” said Fihla.
Gunmen walking around between cars on M2 offramp. Source: Yusuf Abramjee
SAPS beefs up highway patrols
The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola, has since ordered the maximum mobilisation of officers along Gauteng highways and other strategic locations during peak-hour traffic following the horrific incident in Joburg.
Furthermore, the SAPS has bolstered the deployment of the Highway Patrol, SAPS Airwing, and Gauteng Flying Squad units to monitor and conduct regular patrols on routes identified as high-risk.
“Engagements with the JMPD and other law-enforcement agencies are ongoing in an effort to curb further incidents,” said Masemola.
“SAPS tracking teams are on the ground searching for these suspects.”
Join the discussion