On, 5 July at 07h45, a British American Tobacco (BAT) VW Caddy was delivering cigarettes at a store in KwaCele, inland of Scottburgh, when the 31-year-old driver was allegedly held up by two armed men. The suspects made off with thousands of rands worth of cigarettes, cash and a cellphone. Charges of carjacking and armed robbery have been registered by the Scottburgh SAPS for investigation.
It is alleged that the driver was returning to his vehicle after having delivered cigarettes at the store which is next to the Dududu main road in Kwa Cele, when the two suspects held him up with a gun and one of the suspects drove the Caddy, taking the driver along with them. As they turned onto a dirt road, they demanded money and the panic button from the driver who said that he did not have either. The suspects’ accomplices were in a VW Jetta which was loaded with several cartons of cigarettes. When the car was loaded to capacity, the remaining cartons were left on the roadside. Leaving the driver behind, the suspects drove the Caddy further up the dirt road where they abandoned it and fled in the Jetta.
The Scottburgh SAPS response crew and detectives attended the scene. They were joined later by a forensic expert from the Port Shepstone Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) who combed the scene for forensic evidence.
At about 14h30 this afternoon, armed with vital information provided by Scottburgh Crime Intelligence, members of the Scottburgh Detective Task Team, Umzinto K9 unit, Umzinto Task Team, Scottburgh Crime Intelligence and Scottburgh Crime Prevention unit lay in wait on the N2 freeway at Umkomaas. As the VW Jetta and a white Toyota Quantum taxi passed, a high speed chase ensued. Police managed to pull the taxi over at Winklespruit but the Jetta managed to escape during the high speed chase. The driver of the taxi and his two passengers were placed under arrest and the taxi was impounded. All the stolen cigarettes were recovered in the taxi. The driver of the taxi is from Dududu while the other two suspects are from the Kwa Mashu area in Durban. All three arrested men were detained and would be appearing in in the Scottburgh Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 7 July on charges of carjacking and armed robbery.
“This indicates that the police officials are not tolerating any illegal behaviour. It is hoped that this arrest will send a clear message that we will arrest all those who break the law,” said The KwaZulu-Natal Acting Provincial Commissioner Bhekinkosi Langa .
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