5 SWAZI TRUCKS HIJACKED IN SA

MBABANE – A syndicate operating between the Mpumalanga province and Mozambique has hijacked at least five Swazi trucks after which they demanded E100 000 to free the heavy duty vehicles.

The syndicate targets Swazi trucks that do business in the Republic of South Africa. After the vehicles are hijacked they are then driven to Mozambique where the hijackers call the owners in Swaziland to make the demand.
On Sunday morning, a Swazi horse and trailer truck driver was hijacked in Middelburg.

The truck was transporting coal when it was hijacked. The driver, aged 33, was tied to a tree after being beaten by the hijackers. The name of the driver and the company he works for are known to this publication but will not be divulged for now.

It has been gathered from an impeccable sources, that the owner of the truck, who is resident in the country, received a phone call on Monday informing him that his truck was in Mozambique.
“On Monday, the owner received a call informing him that his truck was in Mozambique and he could get it if he acted according to what would be communicated to him.

He was instructed to go to Mozambique and bring with him at least E100 000,” the source said.
The source further said the businessman adhered to the demands of the hijackers and travelled to Mozambique yesterday.
“If the owner of the truck does not follow the instructions and give the hijackers the money they demand, he may lose his truck. A number of local truckers have been hijacked and ordered to pay some money,” the source further stated.

By the time this news article was published, it was unclear what the trip to Mozambique had yielded for the businessman. Senzo Mkhabela, Director of Mgewu Logistics, said he was a victim of the hijackers in South Africa recently.
Mkhabela narrated that his horse and trailer truck was hijacked a few kilometres from the N4 off-ramp – Caroline road in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

“Four weeks back, my truck was hijacked near the Belfast junction on the Caroline – N4 freeway.
“They imitated police with the blue light and locked the trailer when the driver stopped. When the driver stopped, he was pointed with a gun and shot in his head and arm before the hijackers left with the truck,” Mkhabela said. He said they left the driver in the veld, probably thinking he would die from the gunshot wounds.

“One thing my driver noted was that they had a device which they used to locate where the tracking device was embedded in the truck. He said they discarded it and threw the tracking device on the ground before leaving with the truck,” Mkhabela further explained.
The businessman further stated that someone phoned him claiming that his truck was in Xai Xai.

“Someone phoned me saying my truck was in Xai Xai and I had to bring money with me in order to get it,” he said.
He said he dismissed such as one of the scams pulled by con-artists. He further stated that he feared that what if he travelled to Mozambique only to be robbed the money that had been demanded and also killed by the thugs.

Mozambique has witnessed an increase in kidnappings and hijackings as the country has since been regarded as fertile ground for crime gangs that target businessmen.

Swaziland has recently witnessed a number of kidnappings that involved businesspeople by people that are thought to be working hand-in-hand with crime gangs that are based in Mozambique.

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