A 53-year-old truck driver was shot and killed in Port Elizabeth on Monday night when he was hijacked by men wearing reflector jackets.
Police spokesperson, Captain Andre' Beetge, said Absalom Mnisi's body was spotted on an embankment close to Coega by a passing motorist on Tuesday morning.
"He was found with gunshot wounds to his back and neck," he said.
Beetge said it was reported that Mnisi was "flagged down by the suspects wearing reflective jackets and using a white vehicle with a blue light at about 19:00".
He said a passing motorist spotted the truck and alerted the trucking company after which the vehicle's tracking device was activated.
"At about 20:00 a SAPS flying squad vehicle that followed the tracking signal found the White Volvo truck hidden behind a warehouse, and on entering the premises, seven suspects fled from the truck into the warehouse".
"On searching the warehouse, police managed to arrest five suspects, aged between 27 and 41, but the remaining two suspects managed to evade arrest," Beetge said.
He said the truck and its cargo of almost 23 tons of scrap copper, with a value of R1.9m, and a Mini Cooper vehicle, were impounded for forensic analysis.
Police also found a rented Ford Ranger bakkie, a blue light, a reflective jacket, a large mobile radio frequency signal blocker and seven cell phones in the warehouse.
Beetge said cases of murder and hijacking are under investigation by the Eastern Cape Provincial Organised Crime Investigation team.
"All five suspects have been charged with the possession of stolen property and police will investigate their link and role with the hijacking and murder," he added.
"Anyone that could assist police with this investigation can contact Lt Col Willie Mayi at 082 697 5914".
(Pics: SAPS)
