A group of suspects have been arrested for allegedly hijacking a Joburg home. Photo: City of Joburg / Facebook
Nine arrested for ‘hijacking’ Joburg home and occupying it since 2019
A large operation returned a set of keys to a building owner’s whose property was allegedly hijacked by a group of nine people.
A group of suspects have been arrested for allegedly hijacking a Joburg home. Photo: City of Joburg / Facebook
Nine people have been apprehended by police for allegedly ‘hijacking’ a home in Johannesburg. The group defied an eviction order and moved back onto the property based in Denver, east of Joburg.
The matter was reported in 2019
The problem regarding the property hijackers was reported to the City’s Group Forensic and Investigation Services unit in 2019, according to a statement. The tenants were reportedly paying a monthly rental of R800 each to the person who hijacked the property.
The owner managed to secure an eviction order from a High Court. The order was executed on 2 December 2021. The suspects, however, made their way back onto the property in what was described as a “forceful” manner.
On Wednesday, a special operation was launched with the GFIS and SAPS’ property hijacking investigation task team along with the Johannesburg Metro Police.
A successful operation sees the hijacked property’s keys return to its rightful owner
The statement explained that the hijacked property had been handed over to security personnel who were hired by the owner of the building. Out of the nine people who were arrested, five are men and the other four are women.
The group are expected to appear before the Jeppe Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 31 March. They will be facing charges of contempt of court and trespassing. The City of Joburg reiterated the GFIS’s motive to stop crime in the city.
“The unit is committed to ensuring that it stops the rot in the city and make it a prosperous and inclusive place for our people to live, work and play,” read the statement.
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