eMalahleni is the prime spot for hijacking
Two victims found themselves at the mercy of alleged armed criminals in separate hijacking incidents, narrowly escaping their captors in daring getaways.
The first incident unfolded on June 14, when a truck driver was hijacked shortly after leaving a mine in Delmas.
When he stopped at a stop sign, three masked men allegedly armed, stormed his white Volvo truck, and as they approached the truck, they forced him into the back seat and tied him up with cable ties.
They covered his face with a blanket and drove for about an hour before stopping at an industrial premises.
They continued driving before pausing again, ignoring the victim's pleas to be untied. The armed men abandoned the victim and drove off with the truck. Patrol officers later assisted the victim. The hijacked truck, valued at R2.8m, was recovered at Balmoral along the Old Pretoria Road.
The second case occurred on June 12, when a man was hijacked while driving his employer's vehicle, a white Nissan NP200, after stopping at a tuck shop in Extension 16.
As he returned to his car, three men allegedly pointed firearms at him, forcing him into the back of the vehicle.
With one suspect allegedly holding him at gunpoint, the others took control of the vehicle and drove toward yet another industrial premises.
In a desperate bid for freedom, he managed to leap from the moving car and flee later finding assistance at a police station.
'We continue to call on motorists to exercise caution, avoid stopping in isolated areas, and remain alert to potential threats,' warned Captain Eddie Hall, spokesperson of SAPS Witbank.
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