Bay drivers warned of new hijacking scam

Nelson Mandela Bay drivers are warned not to stop or slow down when “flagged down” by frantic individuals, in the wake of recent reports of vehicle hijackings with similar modus operandi.

According to police two people were hijacked in separate incidents in two Port Elizabeth areas.

A 24-year-old man was hijacked today after stopping to attend to a woman who had allegedly flagged him down in Strand Street, Humewood.

As he stopped, two unknown men got into the vehicle.

The man was then forced to drive to a block of flats where a third person got in and a TV was also loaded in the vehicle.

He  drove to the nearby taxi rank and was ordered to get out and run.

The vehicle, a VW Golf, was recovered in the taxi rank minus the radio and speakers.

In an  incident yesterday another man, who drives a “jikeleza” (taxi), was flagged down by a woman near Kinako Mall in New Brighton.

The woman informed the driver that her brothers were waiting further down the road.

Immediately two men got into the vehicle and threatened the driver at gunpoint.

The driver was taken to Perseverance where he was robbed of his cash and his vehicle, police said.

Police are warning drivers to use their discretion and always be alert when driving.

“Strange behavior  by pedestrians (in these cases women) must be viewed with suspicion.

“Always look around when stopping at robots, especially late at night or the early hours of the mornings. Make sure that the doors are locked always.

“If surprised by a sudden appearance of someone at the window, do not open the window and instead drive off.

“Hijackers are professionals and they plan their attack carefully so motorists are advised to be vigilant at all times and not to be naïve when confronted by the opposite sex,” the police statement read.