Three men arrested earlier this week after allegedly hijacking an Iveco panel van on the N2, are expected to appear in the Gqeberha magistrate’s court on Monday.
Police spokesperson Col Priscilla Naidu said the panel van had just passed the Baywest turn-off at about 11am on Wednesday when the incident occurred.
Naidu said the polo was driving alongside the panel van when a passenger pointed a firearm at the occupants of the van and ordered the driver to pull off onto the side of the road.
Two males jumped into the Iveco truck and drove off with the driver still inside.
A female passenger was forced out of the van.
At about 2.40pm, police officers from Kabega Park police station spotted the VW Polo in the Greenbushes area.
“When the suspects saw the police, they sped off onto a gravel road,” Naidu said.
While in pursuit, one of the suspected hijackers threw a 9mm pistol out a window.
The driver suddenly stopped and the passenger jumped out and ran away. He is still at large, Naidu said.
The 38-year-old driver was arrested and detained on a charge of vehicle hijacking, while the 9mm pistol with its serial number filed off was recovered.
Twenty minutes before the car chase, two suspects were spotted in the Iveco in Mission Road.
Anti-Gang Unit members were patrolling in the Bloemendal area when they spotted the van and gave chase, before the driver lost control and hit a boundary wall.
Both suspects got out the vehicle and tried to evade police but were immediately arrested.
The suspects, aged 29 and 32, were detained on a charge of possession of a suspected hijacked vehicle.
All the suspects will appear in court on Monday.
HeraldLIVE