East London police have arrested two men, one a South African National Defence Force sergeant, for allegedly hijacking a British American Tobacco (BAT) van in Cambridge yesterday.
The soldier was arrested in Scenery Park shortly after 12pm, where he hid inside the home of a police officer.
He was driving a white VW polo with four other suspects when members of the East London K9 Unit forced him off the Mdantsane Access Road into Scenery Park.
Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mtati Tana said the cigarette van was hijacked in Cambridge location at 10.30am by five suspects in a hired bakkie and one in a VW polo.
Tana said the van was driven to Summerpride in the presence of a BAT employee and a group of suspects loaded boxes of cigarettes, valued at R250000, into the bakkie and Polo.
The suspects fled the scene leaving the BAT van and its driver behind.
Tana said as soon as they were alerted to the incident different police units were sent to trace the suspects.
“K9 Unit members Warrant Officer Pieter Swanepoel and Constable Jose Fredericks spotted the bakkie and the Polo on the Mdantsane Access Road and gave chase.
“As the two members were in hot pursuit the suspects in the Polo withdrew their firearms and pointed them in the direction of the officers.
“The officers withdrew their firearms and opened fire at the suspects,” Tana said.
He said the two vehicles then detoured from the Mdantsane Access Road into Scenery Park.
Tana said the suspect in the bakkie was alone and unarmed and when he realised police were shooting he stopped his vehicle and fled on foot.
The suspect was arrested “about 100 metres from where the bakkie had stopped,” Tana said.
He said 10 boxes of cigarettes, valued at R150000, were recovered from the bakkie.
Tana said the car drove into Scenery Park where it unknowingly entered an SAPS member’s property.
This officer called for backup and, when police responded, they found one suspect at the scene.
Tana said the two suspects were in their early 30s and have been charged with armed robbery.
They were due to appear in the East London Magistrate’s Court soon.
Soldier arrested after hijacking van
The soldier was arrested in Scenery Park shortly after 12pm, where he hid inside the home of a police officer.
He was driving a white VW polo with four other suspects when members of the East London K9 Unit forced him off the Mdantsane Access Road into Scenery Park.
Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mtati Tana said the cigarette van was hijacked in Cambridge location at 10.30am by five suspects in a hired bakkie and one in a VW polo.
Tana said the van was driven to Summerpride in the presence of a BAT employee and a group of suspects loaded boxes of cigarettes, valued at R250000, into the bakkie and Polo.
The suspects fled the scene leaving the BAT van and its driver behind.
Tana said as soon as they were alerted to the incident different police units were sent to trace the suspects.
“K9 Unit members Warrant Officer Pieter Swanepoel and Constable Jose Fredericks spotted the bakkie and the Polo on the Mdantsane Access Road and gave chase.
“As the two members were in hot pursuit the suspects in the Polo withdrew their firearms and pointed them in the direction of the officers.
“The officers withdrew their firearms and opened fire at the suspects,” Tana said.
He said the two vehicles then detoured from the Mdantsane Access Road into Scenery Park.
Tana said the suspect in the bakkie was alone and unarmed and when he realised police were shooting he stopped his vehicle and fled on foot.
The suspect was arrested “about 100 metres from where the bakkie had stopped,” Tana said.
He said 10 boxes of cigarettes, valued at R150000, were recovered from the bakkie.
Tana said the car drove into Scenery Park where it unknowingly entered an SAPS member’s property.
This officer called for backup and, when police responded, they found one suspect at the scene.
Tana said the two suspects were in their early 30s and have been charged with armed robbery.
They were due to appear in the East London Magistrate’s Court soon.
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