Couriers target of criminal syndicates

BOGUS POLICE: UNIFORMED THIEVES AT ROADBLOCKS

Drivers afraid, and activist suggests there might be ‘inside involvement’.

Criminal syndicates are pulling all the stops in hijacking and robbing courier vehicles of valuable goods transported around Gauteng. The gangs’ modus operandi, according to a truck driver who spoke to The Citizen on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, included staging “police roadblocks”, with the imposters dressed in uniform, emerging from a car fitted with a blue light.

“Having worked in the industry for almost three years, me and my colleagues have been through so much,” he said.

“You cannot be vigilant enough while transporting clients’ goods in parts of Gauteng.

“The other day I stopped at a red robot of Central Avenue in Kempton Park.

“While stopping to deliver goods at our destination, we observed there was one box missing – quickly stolen while the vehicle was stationary at the robot.

“You are dealing with professionals who are very smart in quickly opening the back door of the van so that you won’t even feel it,” explained the driver.

“In some cases, especially when you stop at a mall to buy food, they break the lock of the vehicle,” he added.

Police imposters, he said, were “a big headache”.

He said: “My colleagues in Pretoria were once stopped at what they assumed was a legitimate police roadblock by men in uniform, coming out of a German sports car.

“Because you cannot resist a police instruction to stop, they stopped.

“They were then driven to Mamelodi Hostel, where the truck was stripped of goods. The van was found later after they reported the incident to the police.”

Crime activist Yusuf Abramjee has warned that incidents in which criminal syndicates target courier vehicles were soaring in Gauteng, with three robberies having taken place last week in Pretoria alone.

Abramjee posted a picture on his Twitter timeline of how a vehicle was robbed “in broad daylight” in Johannesburg’s Ennerdale “and how quickly the gangsters got away with the load”.

He is “frustrated by police and the courier industry’s slow response to the attacks”.

He said: “I have raised the attacks on courier vans for some time now.

“From the reports we are getting, we are seeing a dramatic increase in the robberies, attacks and hijackings of courier vehicles, especially in Gauteng.

“Criminals seem to be targeting electronics and other expensive items.

“They use hijacked and stolen vehicles and those with cloned or false registration number plates.

“They hijack the vehicle, take it to a quiet street, offload the load into their cars and leave the driver or lock him in the back of the van.

“We need urgent intervention and awareness.

“Courier companies and the industry now need to take the lead and institute urgent security measures.

“I don’t think police are doing enough because there does not seem to be an intelligence-driven operation.

“The arrests and conviction rates have been very low, while drivers are now working in fear.

“I would not be surprised if there was inside involvement.

“There also seem to be some syndicates specialising in these robberies, which are carried out in broad daylight by heavily armed, brazen gangs.

“I have raised the issue with one or two companies and they referred me to the industry. It seems the industry is not interested.

“And I suggested to the companies and the industries to launch a massive campaign, to create awareness and even consider giving rewards for information leading to arrests and convictions of criminal syndicates and criminals involved.

“On Thursday evening, we had an attempted hijacking of a courier van in Johannesburg. The van overturned, with the driver trapped for three hours before being airlifted to hospital, where he was described to be in a critical condition.”

Abramjee said he was concerned about people being stopped at roadblocks by bogus police officers.

“[This] is something of great concern, which just shows how desperate these criminals have become. That needs to be the subject of an investigation on its own,” he said.

SA Express Parcel Association chief executive Garry Marshall was not available for comment at the time of going to press.

Criminals seem to be targeting electronics and other expensive items