Police arrest man within minutes of alleged hijacking

A 30-year-old Port Elizabeth man was arrested at the weekend shortly after allegedly hijacking a vehicle near the R75 turnoff.

It is alleged at that about 10am on Saturday the driver of a Ford Ranger, with two passengers, were on their way to Uitenhage to drop off groceries at a shop when the incident occurred.

Police spokesperson Col Priscilla Naidu said as the Ranger neared the R75 off-ramp, a vehicle carrying four unidentified armed men drove up next to it.

It is alleged the men pointed firearms at the driver of the Ranger and ordered him to stop.

After stopping the vehicle, three suspects got out of the vehicle they were travelling in and instructed the driver of the Ranger and his passengers to get into their vehicle.

The other alleged assailant then got into the Ranger and drove off, Naidu said.

According to Naidu, the Ranger driver and his two passengers were dropped off in Uitenhage.

“A few minutes after the incident, PE K9 unit received information about the hijacking and the direction the hijacked vehicle was travelling in,” Naidu said.  

At about 10.40am the Ranger was spotted in Mkwenkwe Street, KwaDwesi.  

Naidu said members of the K9 Unit pulled over the vehicle and the suspect was arrested.

A 9mm Norinco pistol with ammunition was found on the seat.

The serial number was filed off, Naidu said.

All the stolen goods were recovered.

Police also seized five cellphones from the suspect, she said.

The man was detained on charges of possession of a prohibited firearm, illegal possession of ammunition, possession of the hijacked vehicle and possession of suspected stolen property.

He is expected to appear in the Uitenhage magistrate’s court on Monday.

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