Five held in raid on 'hijack syndicate'

Five men have appeared in court in Muizenberg‚ Cape Town‚ after being arrested in connection with eight vehicle hijackings.

Police said on Wednesday that three of the men were from Malawi and two were South African. They were aged between 26 and 29.

The men were arrested in a raid on a home in Gill Road‚ Muizenberg‚ by officers from the police vehicle identification section. The raid was the culmination of an intelligence-driven operation‚ said police spokesman Noloyiso Rwexana.

“Three hijacked vehicles‚ comprising a Toyota Etios‚ Audi A3 and a Mercedes Benz Sprinter‚ were recovered from the premises‚” she said.

The alleged hijacking syndicate operated in Nyanga‚ Mandalay and other parts of the Western Cape “with possible links to a neighbouring country“.

Rwexana said: “The suspects have since appeared in the Muizenberg court and will remain in custody until their next appearance. The matter is still under investigation and the possibility of more arrests is not ruled out.”