Image via: @Abramjee Twitter
KZN dash-cam hijackers in viral video arrested and charged
Two suspects – whose actions were captured on video – have appeared in court for an attempted hijacking on 15 December in Lamontville.
Image via: @Abramjee Twitter
Two suspects, who were filmed by a car’s dashboard camera pointing firearms at a motorist and his family in an attempted hijacking, appeared at the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday 6 January.
The suspects, aged 20 and 33, will be remanded in custody until 13 January.
According to police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala, the duo were arrested by the Ethekwini Inner South Cluster task team and Montclair police on Saturday 4 January with the video of their attempted hijacking having gone viral on social media.
Attempted hijacking in KwaZulu-Natal
It is alleged that at 13:00 on 15 December 2019, a 45-year-old man and his family were in their vehicle on the corner of South Coast Road and Himalaya Drive, in Lamontville, when two men pointed firearms at them and ordered them to get out of their vehicle.
The quick-thinking driver managed to reverse and drive off, causing the suspects to flee the scene.
Twitter users could not believe the speedy reaction of the driver under the circumstances:
“If there’s one thing that saved them it’s the fact that they had their doors locked, you can hear the sound the door makes when the hijacker attempts to open it. Quick thinking to reverse also as panicked as they were,” said one user.
A case of attempted hijacking was opened at the Montclair police station while the video, taken with the car’s dash camera, went viral on social media.
Watch: Attempted hijacking
Possession of firearm; link to other hijacking
According to Gwala, an intelligence-driven operation was conducted which led to the suspects’ arrest. The 20-year-old suspect was found in possession of a firearm.
They were both arrested in Lamontville and charged for the attempted carjacking. The 20-year-old was also charged for possession of an illegal firearm, while the 33-year-old was found to be linked to a Montclair carjacking case where a motorist was hijacked of his vehicle on 22 November 2019.
Police officers commended
KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner Khombinkosi Jula commended the police officers on the arrests and urged the community to ensure that they report criminal activity as soon as a crime is committed.
“This is so the police can immediately commence with the investigation and bring the perpetrators to book,” said Jula.
