BY LERATO PHOSISI
It was supposed to be another hijacking on South Africa’s deadliest freight corridor. Instead, it ended in a hail of bullets and 17 suspects in handcuffs.
In a major intelligence-driven breakthrough, police foiled what is believed to have been a meticulously planned truck hijacking operation along the N1 national road.
The dramatic operation unfolded on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, at about 09h00 at a plot in Rietfontein, near Drieziek Ext. 4 in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg, after Gauteng Provincial Crime Intelligence and the Gauteng Highway Patrol Unit received credible information about a truck that had been targeted for hijacking on the N1.
According to police, the suspects had been camping at the Rietfontein plot, allegedly lying in wait to execute their plan, when officers moved in to intercept them.
As officers approached, the suspects reportedly opened fire, prompting police to retaliate. A shootout ensued, leaving four suspects injured. The injured suspects were taken to hospital where they remain under heavy police guard.
A subsequent search of the premises led to a major seizure. Police recovered an AK-47 rifle, four pistols, five motor vehicles, and a sophisticated signal-jamming device.
Officers also confiscated traffic police uniforms, reflector jackets, a cutting-grinder machine, balaclavas and gloves – items believed to have been used to impersonate law enforcement officers to stop targeted trucks and cars. Among the 17 arrested, three are foreign nationals.
The suspects are expected to appear before the Vereeniging Magistrate’s Court facing charges including conspiracy to commit a crime, attempted murder of police officers, possession of unlicensed firearms, possession of a signal-jamming device, and impersonating a police officer.
Sedibeng District Commissioner, Major General Nkhensani Mukwevho, applauded the success of the operation, stating that it stems from proactive policing led by Gauteng Provincial Crime Intelligence and the Gauteng Highway Patrol Unit.
She reiterated that police will continue to protect law-abiding communities and motorists against these syndicates and thanked all members involved in the operation
