Three arrested, including a teenage girl, for hijacking a Botswana woman in North West
Police recovered a firearm, a knife and stolen property following the arrest of three suspects linked to the hijacking and robbery of a 65-year-old Botswana woman in the North West.
Image: SAPS
Police in the North West have arrested three suspects, including a 17-year-old girl, following the hijacking and robbery of a 65-year-old Botswana national who was threatened with a firearm and forced to withdraw money from ATMs.
The two male suspects, aged 29 and 30, and the teenage girl were arrested on Monday afternoon in Potchefstroom after police received information about the incident and launched a coordinated operation involving Crime Intelligence, the Flying Squad in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district, the provincial drug task team and private security companies.
According to North West provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Adéle Myburgh, the incident was reported earlier on Monday at about 10 am while the victim was driving a Toyota Yaris on the road between Nooitgedacht and Mooifontein near Mahikeng.
She was allegedly accosted by three suspects travelling in a white vehicle, who blocked the road and forced her to stop. Police said the suspects pointed her with a firearm and threatened her with a knife before forcing her into their vehicle.
The victim was then driven to Itsoseng and Mahikeng, where she was taken to several ATMs and compelled to withdraw money from her bank account.
Police recovered a firearm, a knife and stolen property following the arrest of three suspects linked to the hijacking and robbery of a 65-year-old Botswana woman in the North West.
Image: SAPS
After the withdrawals, the suspects allegedly abandoned her in Mahikeng and fled. Her cellphones were also stolen during the ordeal.
North West provincial police commissioner Major General Ryno Naidoo has welcomed the arrests, commending the swift cooperation between different police units and private security.
He said the arrests demonstrated police commitment to ensuring that criminals are brought to book and that communities and visitors to the province are protected, particularly during the festive season when traffic volumes increase.
Naidoo said police would not tolerate acts of violence and intimidation on the province’s roads.
The suspects are expected to appear before the Mmabatho Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, facing charges of hijacking, robbery, kidnapping and possession of stolen property. The 17-year-old will be dealt with in terms of the Child Justice Act.
Police also confirmed that a firearm, a knife and stolen property were recovered during the operation.
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