Robbers use AK-47 to hijack vehicle in Honeydew
A hijacking in Honeydew, Johannesburg raised eyebrows as a robber used an AK-47 to get the driver out of the vehicle.
More than 30,000 hijackings take place in South Africa each year and one of those hijackings was caught on camera in Honeydew, Johannesburg.
According to the National Hijack Prevention Academy [NHPA], hijackers prefer areas where there’s slow moving traffic. The modus operandi of hijackers typically includes a few methods, including "boxing in". It means hijackers will choose spots where victims can’t escape easily.
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That is exactly what happened in Honeydew. CCTV footage shows a man arriving home in a maroon vehicle. A few seconds later a white vehicle pulls up and two hijackers corner the driver. The one criminal has an AK-47 and the vehicle owner had to surrender.
Hijacking: Honeydew JHB. pic.twitter.com/0rMEzoRzVl
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) February 28, 2021
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Specialists Richard and Melinda Rossouw of the National Hijack Prevention Academy [NHPA] provide tips on how to prevent a hijacking.
1. 2km from your house strategy. Be extra alert. Switch off the car radio and concentrate on your surroundings. If you have noticed any vehicles behind you, use the techniques you have learned during the hijack prevention & survival course to determine whether you are being followed.
2. Remember to stop your vehicle just on the inside of the gate and select reverse whilst waiting for the gate to close. This creates confusion and may buy you a few seconds for the gate to close completely behind you.
3. Check your driveway and street before you leave or enter your premises.
4. Make sure your driveway is well lit and clear from shrubbery where perpetrators can hide.
5. Be aware of unknown pedestrians close to your residential address – do not turn into your driveway – pass and go back later.
6. Be aware of vehicles parked close to your address with occupants inside. It might be perpetrators observing the area.
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Image credit: Twitter @Abramjee