Cape Town – Three armed men, who reportedly robbed and hijacked two police officers at a murder scene in Wells Estate, Gqeberha on Sunday, have been arrested.
Reports said the police officers were robbed of their service pistols, cellphones and wallets before being locked in the back of their police van.
“It is alleged that at about 7.40am, SAPS Swartkops members were attending to a murder in Malinga Street in Wells Estate when the two officers were approached by three armed men. They were robbed of their firearms, cellphones and wallets. The members were then placed in the back of the police van and the suspects drove off with (them in) the police vehicle,” IOL quoted Eastern Cape police spokesperson, Colonel Priscilla Naidu as saying.
The suspects allegedly then stopped and hijacked another vehicle and sped off, abandoning the police van with the officers locked inside, the report said.
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The hijacked Renault was later found abandoned further down the street.
The South African reported that later that same morning the three armed suspects reportedly attempted to hijack a VW Polo but the driver sped off to the police station and reported the incident.
The suspects, who were on foot reportedly got into a taxi when they saw the police, the report said.
The taxi was stopped by the police and the suspects were arrested.
Three 9mm pistols were discovered on the pavement.
“Police have opened cases of attempted hijacking as well as three cases of illegal possession of firearms,” the report quoted Naidu as saying.
Police also opened two cases of armed robbery, two of vehicle hijacking and one of kidnapping.
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
