Africa-Press – South-Africa. A Cape of Good Hope SPCA team was hijacked at gunpoint on Friday after responding to a call-out in the Khayelitsha area.
Confirming the incident, SPCA spokesperson Jaco Pieterse said the robbers made off with their vehicle and left staff members stranded along the road, although they were left unharmed.
“They are still very traumatised,” Pieterse said while detailing how the two unknown gunmen approached their inspector, who was driving the vehicle during the call-out at a nearby house, before demanding that the driver get out of the vehicle.
Pieterse said:
Western Cape Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg said a hijacking case was registered for investigation at Harare SAPS.
“According to reports the complainant was busy parking the vehicle in a yard in Cocekiloe Street, Harare, Khayelitsha, on Friday about 18:30, when he was approached by two unknown suspects who threatened him with a firearm, and took the vehicle and fled the scene. No shots were fired, and no injuries were reported,” said Twigg.
But in a surprising turn of events, the SPCA said over the weekend they received word that their vehicle had been found.
“We had a call from a person claiming to be a police officer to say our vehicle was recovered but we must pay for a private tow truck company, otherwise the police will need to impound the vehicle and we will only get it back after the case.”
Pieterse said the caller gave a private bank account number, but the SPCA did not pay up.
“We escalated the matter and were also told not to pay and that the police must impound the vehicle,” said Pieterse.
“The alleged police officer told me the vehicle is fine and in a drivable condition and if we EFT the money they will tow it to the Harare SAPS where we can fetch it. He had even sent me private banking details, we still don’t know if the vehicle has been found or if this officer was trying to extort money from the SPCA,” he added.
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But police refuted claims that the vehicle had been found, saying only that the vehicle has not yet been recovered and that the investigation is still ongoing.
Twigg also warned the public that police officials would never ask a vehicle owner for money, if their vehicles had been stolen and recovered.
“If a vehicle is stolen and recovered, police will tow it to a vehicle storage facility in Bellville South or Stikland, and the investigating officer will make contact with the car owner for them to collect the vehicle after the investigation is concluded,” said Twigg.
Advising the public to be on the look-out for scammers, Twigg stressed that under no circumstances would any police official ever ask for money from members of the public.
The SPCA said they are hopeful that their vehicle will soon be recovered so that they can continue to do their daily work.
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