Update 24 February 2017, 10.30am
Metro Police’s Wayne Minnaar confirmed that a 28-year-old Metro police officer is in a stable condition at Milpark Hospital after two officers exchanged gun fire with suspects.
Minnaar said, “The officers received information that two trucks which were transporting cellphones were hijacked at the N3 Buccleuch interchange. Officers followed a tracker signal to a cemetery at the Marlboro offramp, where the shooting began.”
He added that officers managed to arrest two male suspects and recover approximately R60 million worth of cellphones.
Update, 23 February 2017, 5pm
Captain Mavela Masondo from the South African Police Service said, “Gauteng police are investigating an incident of a truck hijacking where two people, including a Metro police officer, were shot and wounded. Two suspects, aged 35 and 42, have been arrested.”
Masondo said that a truck loaded with cellphones was stopped by a group of suspects driving in different cars.
“During the hijacking a driver of another truck [who] was on the same road was shot on the upper body by the suspects,” said Masondo.
He said that police followed up on information which led them to Marlboro, where the suspects were found offloading the cellphones into another truck.
“A shootout ensued between the suspects and the police and a Metro police officer was shot in the upper body,” said Masondo.
He continued that two suspects were arrested and the rest fled the scene. Police are following all leads to arrest them.
A case of hijacking and attempted murder has been opened.
The police are appealing to anyone with information to contact them.
Details: Crime Stop, 08600 10111 or SMS the Crime Line on 32211.
Initial Report 23 February 2017, 1pm
Emer-G-Med paramedics and its specialised tactical K9 unit are on the scene of a truck hijacking, which lead to a shootout, on the N1 North split from the N3 at the Buccleuch interchange, north of Johannesburg.
https://twitter.com/TrafficSA/status/834674278146662400
Spokesperson for Emer_G_Med, Max Cohen, said paramedics arrived on the scene shortly before 10am to find that a truck driver and a security escort officer had been injured in a shootout. Both sustained critical injuries, with the truck driver sustaining a gunshot wound to his head.
Cohen added that, according to reports, two trucks carrying cellphones, were hijacked by a large group of armed suspects. A shootout ensued where upwards of 50 shots were fired. “Police are at the scene. The N1 North N3 split has been closed to traffic due to intensive crime scene investigations. Motorists can expect heavy delays.”
“The patients were stabilised at the scene by Emer-G-Med Advanced Life Support paramedics before being rushed to a nearby specialist trauma hospital for further care, fortunately both are in a stable condition,” he said.
Constable David Mothapo, spokesperson for the Sandton Police Station confirmed that a truck hijacking occurred at around 9.30am on the N3 north near the Johanesburg M1 offramp behind Armrod company in Buccleuch.
“There were 10 suspects driving a maroon Nissan Juke and a white Mercedes Benz all armed with rifles,” said Mothapo.
One person was shot in the head and taken to hospital. A security company following the truck but not escorting it, was shot at, and a security guard was injured by a passing vehicle and taken to hospital.
More details to follow.
https://twitter.com/TrafficSA/status/834673580038295552
Read: Suspect injured in shootout
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