The motorist, who wanted to remain anonymous but whose name is known to DispatchLIVE, said he had been driving from Butterworth at about 9.30am when he noticed the “suspicious slow-moving truck” and the suspects coming out the bushes.
“I suspected there was illegal movement of people the moment I saw the truck moving at the slow pace and the suspects coming out the bush and climbing onto the truck,” he said.
“Within 500 metres I came across a police van and flagged it down. I pointed in the direction of the truck. Police rushed to the truck and that’s how they were arrested. The suspects tried to run away but they were circled.
“Some of them produced permits for attending a funeral but the permits had expired on April 18.”
He said the driver did not seem to appreciate the seriousness of the lockdown regulations.
“We know people are being smuggled to other provinces, saying they are attending funerals," he said.
"It is my view that each one of us has a responsibility to be vigilant and report these contraventions of the Disaster Management Act and to assist law enforcement agencies in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.”
Comment from police spokesperson Khaya Tonjeni had not been provided by the time of going to press.
Editor's note: Subsequent to publication, the owners of The Beverage Company identified the truck as theirs. The company said that their driver merely pulled over for a rest break. He was taken to the police station where his details were recorded, but was never arrested. The company also said the four passengers were let go since there was no evidence of wrongdoing and no case was opened.“The Beverage Company is committed to compliance with the rule of law in this country and take these allegations very seriously” Shantel David, the legal and compliance officer of The Beverage Company stated.
Five nabbed at Kei Bridge for lockdown ‘people-smuggling’
Image: 123RF/ scanrail
A truck driver was arrested at a roadblock near Kei Bridge on Friday for allegedly trying to smuggle four people — three men and a woman — to East London.
The four passengers were also taken into custody for contravening lockdown regulations. Their travel permits had expired in mid-April.
They had been hidden in the truck’s trailer, but when the vehicle reached the Kei Bridge checkpoint, they jumped off.
DispatchLIVE understands the quartet then managed to circumvent the checkpoint at Kei Bridge by walking through the bush to the other side.
Once the truck had been cleared at the checkpoint, the stowaways met it again down the road.
However, this was seen by a passing motorist, who alerted the police.
Three bust for hijacking meat delivery truck in Cape Town
The motorist, who wanted to remain anonymous but whose name is known to DispatchLIVE, said he had been driving from Butterworth at about 9.30am when he noticed the “suspicious slow-moving truck” and the suspects coming out the bushes.
“I suspected there was illegal movement of people the moment I saw the truck moving at the slow pace and the suspects coming out the bush and climbing onto the truck,” he said.
“Within 500 metres I came across a police van and flagged it down. I pointed in the direction of the truck. Police rushed to the truck and that’s how they were arrested. The suspects tried to run away but they were circled.
“Some of them produced permits for attending a funeral but the permits had expired on April 18.”
He said the driver did not seem to appreciate the seriousness of the lockdown regulations.
“We know people are being smuggled to other provinces, saying they are attending funerals," he said.
"It is my view that each one of us has a responsibility to be vigilant and report these contraventions of the Disaster Management Act and to assist law enforcement agencies in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.”
Comment from police spokesperson Khaya Tonjeni had not been provided by the time of going to press.
Editor's note: Subsequent to publication, the owners of The Beverage Company identified the truck as theirs. The company said that their driver merely pulled over for a rest break. He was taken to the police station where his details were recorded, but was never arrested. The company also said the four passengers were let go since there was no evidence of wrongdoing and no case was opened.“The Beverage Company is committed to compliance with the rule of law in this country and take these allegations very seriously” Shantel David, the legal and compliance officer of The Beverage Company stated.
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