Police spokesperson Josephine Rani said they have arrested three suspects, aged between 48 and 54 in connection with the truck. Two are foreign nationals. 

She said on Tuesday (20/06), the police in the area received information that there is a white vehicle alleged to be involved in the hijacking of trucks and courier vehicles. “The said vehicle was allegedly travelling on the N1 and was later spotted in Koppies. After police chased the vehicle, they managed to stop them and apprehended the suspects.”

She further explained that while they were at the Koppies Police Station, there was a security officer and another man who alleged that his truck was hijacked on the N1 by two white vehicles. The complainant positively pointed out the vehicle and the suspect. The victim claimed that he was driving a truck towards Bloemfontein when one of the vehicles with blue lights stopped him. One of the occupants was wearing a police uniform. 

“The victim said after stopping, he was forced into the white vehicle and they drove with him for about 30km until he was forced into a different white car, where his hands were tied with cable ties. They drove another 20 kilometres and left him under the bridge.”

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At the moment four other suspects are still on the run. “The three suspects will appear before the Koppies Magistrate's Court soon on charges of hijacking and kidnapping,” concluded Rani.

This is not the first truck incident in the province. Recently, the police were on the lookout for suspects who stole a 10-ton truck in Maokeng, Kroonstad, during the daytime. It was reported that several workers were also robbed of their cell phones. The suspects also took an undisclosed amount of money and tied up the workers before fleeing the scene in the truck, which was loaded with 9kg gas cylinders. The registration number of the truck is unknown at this stage, but it is suspected to have taken either the roads towards Vredefort, Parys or the N1.

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