BY LERATO PHOSISI
A routine patrol by Johannesburg’s Tactical Response Unit led to a major breakthrough in Lenasia South. The discovery came after a hijacking victim spotted his own stolen car driving into a residential estate.
What began as a routine patrol for Johannesburg’s Tactical Response Unit ended in a major breakthrough in Lenasia South, after a hijacking victim spotted his own stolen car driving into a residential estate.
The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) has recovered a hijacked vehicle and arrested three suspects, including a woman found with a police uniform she could not explain.
Officers were on crime prevention duties at the intersection of Beatrice and Golden Highway when a motorist flagged them down. He told them he had been hijacked the previous day along Provincial Road and Golden Highway, and moments earlier, had seen his vehicle enter Magson Manor.
TRU members reacted instantly.
Following the lead, they tracked the vehicle to a house inside the complex. Inside the property was a woman and the stolen car. The victim was called to the scene and positively identified his vehicle, which was later impounded at the Lenasia SAPS pound.
A routine recovery then took an unexpected turn.
While searching the house, officers uncovered a full SAPS uniform. The woman had no legitimate explanation for its possession and was immediately detained for interrogation.
The operation intensified as officers searched for accomplices. Alert residents, who had been watching the police activity, tipped off officers about the alleged mastermind hiding nearby. A high-speed foot chase ensued through the area, leading to the capture of one male suspect.
Hours later, a second suspect linked to the hijacking surrendered himself to police.
The trio is now in custody at Lenasia South SAPS. A case of possession of suspected stolen property has been opened, with police indicating that charges of hijacking and unlawful possession of a police uniform are likely to follow.
Police sources have hailed the operation as a textbook example of effective policing and community partnership.
