#CrimeStats | Townships are the hijacking hot spot of SA

Signs warning of hijacking hotspots
Image: file

Most of the more than 16,000 carjackings that were reported from April 1 2018 to March 31 this year occurred in townships.

According to the crime statistics released in parliament on Thursday morning, 15,098 cars were hijacked in townships.

“More incidences of carjackings are happening at the townships and inner city than any other place,” the statistics said.

More than 1,500 cars were hijacked in city centres, 110 on a national highway, 97 in a suburb and one at a port of entry.

The most number of carjacking cases were reported toWestern Cape in the Western Cape.

The statistics revealed that 12,857 drivers were threatened with a weapon as the most used used modus operandi to gain control over the victim.

Most victims were threatened with a firearm.

In 12 cases, a brick was used while in five other hijackings an axe was the weapon of choice.

At least 351 drivers reported that hijackers had “knocked down on the window or another part of the vehicle” to hijack them.

In 14 cases, objects were thrown on the road as the modus operandi.

In 51 cases, hijackers used a fake stop and go to target their victims.

In four cases, drivers were poisoned.

BY NIVASHNI NAIR

TimesLIVE

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