Six people have been arrested in Cape Town after a fake hijacking was uncovered, Western Cape police said on Sunday.
Two men reported at the Harare police station in Khayelitsha on Saturday that they were driving on the N2 towards Macassar when their Hyundai truck and trailer loaded with home appliances was taken from them, Constable Noloyiso Rwexana said.
The men claimed that an unknown vehicle had collided with the truck and forced them to stop. When they confronted the driver of the car, the driver pointed a firearm at them.
“The two complainants allege that they fled the scene on foot leaving the truck abandon. A carjacking case was opened and the case was transferred to Macassar police for further investigation,” Rwexana said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the carjacking never occurred and the two men had lied under oath. The investigation led police to addresses in Paarl and Milnerton where the stolen property was recovered and six suspects, aged between 26 and 35, were arrested.
“The total value of [the] recovered home appliances is estimated at R200,000. The suspects [are] facing counts of perjury, defeating the end of justice. All suspects are expected to appearance in the Somerset West Magistrate’s Court once charged,” Rwexana said.
Macassar police station commander Lt-Col Richard Koopman commended the officers for their outstanding investigation that led to the arrest of the suspects. He gave a stern warning to community members to refrain from reporting false cases as it led to loss of resources and wasteful expenditure. – African News Agency (ANA)
