Durban — A motorist was allegedly taken by armed suspects during a hijacking in the south of Durban.
Early last Tuesday morning, armed suspects hijacked a man outside his home in the Folweni area.
The victim was tied up by the suspects, and taken with his vehicle, said ET Rapid Response managing director Tony Lokker.
The ET Tactical Response Team mobilised alongside Matrix to conduct a ground search after information was received of possible sightings of a vehicle being stripped by suspects in the KwaFakazi area, south of Durban, he said.
“Upon the suspects noticing the team approaching, they fled into dense bush. When our members found the Toyota Hilux, the victim was found still tied to the bin of the bakkie,” Lokker said.
The victim was freed and thankfully officers arrived before the situation could escalate, he said.
“The vehicle was found to be severely stripped, in a matter of an hour,” Lokker said.
The scene was handed to police.
Police have been approached for comment.
Meanwhile, last month, the Fidelity Services Group shared helpful hijack prevention tips from Fidelity Services Group and the National Hijack Prevention Academy:
- 68% of all hijackings occur close to home so be especially vigilant when pulling out of your driveway or coming home.
- If you have an electric gate, do not pull into your driveway before opening the gate. This can allow hijackers to box you in. Rather open your gate while your car is still on the road to allow a quick getaway if necessary.
- If you suspect you are being followed, put your indicator on and slow down at least two to three houses prior to your home. By doing this, you force the vehicle behind you to pass and you can then get a better idea of their intentions.
- If you need to stop in your driveway to manually open the gate, always leave the key in the ignition and the motor running unless you have a child in the car. If your child is in the car, take the key with you as you open the gate. The key is a valuable negotiating tool – the criminals want your car and you want your child.
- Always make sure you can see the back wheels of the car in front of you when you stop in the traffic. This gives you enough room to manoeuvre and escape if you have to, for whatever reason.
- Don’t fall for the “tap tap” trap where a driver taps the back of your car in traffic. They often use female drivers as decoys here. Never get out of your car on the scene to assess the damage but rather drive to a busy location and signal to the other driver to follow you. If it is not legitimate, they will seldom follow you.
- If you stay in a secure complex with security guards, do not be fooled into thinking you are safe. You can easily be followed into your complex so always remain vigilant. Research shows that most people relax the closer they get to home and this is often when they are most vulnerable.
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