3 Hijackers Arrested at Alexandra Mall While Spending R45K on Victim's Cards

• Three men in their early 20s hijacked a motorist and tied him up in a Lombardy garage after stealing his bank cards and phone
• A joint operation by police, a tracking company and a bank security team traced the suspects to Alexandra Mall mid-shopping spree
• All three suspects were caught at a shop till and now face charges of kidnapping, hijacking, extortion and possession of an unlicensed firearm

GAUTENG - Three young men were arrested inside Alexandra Mall on Wednesday, 9 July 2025, moments after burning through R45 000 of a hijacking victim's money on designer clothes and shoes.

The men, all in their early 20s, were caught red-handed at a shop till, still using their victim's cellphone to make payments. What brought them down was a swift joint operation involving the South African Police Service, the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department, a private tracking company, and a bank security team working in unison.

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How the hijacking unfolded

According to EMPD spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Kelebogile Thepa, the ordeal began that Wednesday morning when the trio ambushed a motorist between Greenstone and London Road in the north of Johannesburg. The victim was bundled into a vehicle and transported to a house on Nongoma Street, East Bank, Lombardy, where he was tied up and left in a garage. Before heading out, the suspects stripped him of his bank cards, card details, and cellphone.

Investigators located the victim's abandoned vehicle in Alexandra, while the bank security team simultaneously flagged unusual activity on his accounts. The two threads converged, pointing authorities directly to the suspects' location inside the mall.

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Swift arrests and a safe recovery

Officers closed in quickly, arresting all three men at the point of sale. A follow-up search of the Nongoma Street property turned up seized designer clothing and footwear, an unlicensed pistol, and ammunition. The victim was also found at the address, unharmed.

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The suspects now face charges of kidnapping, hijacking, extortion, and possession of an unlicensed firearm with ammunition.

Police apprehend hijackers

In similar news,police nabbed a hijacking suspect during chaotic scenes outside the Winifred Mandela Precinct on 22 June 2026. The incident, which happened in broad daylight, sparked panic and confusion in the area after reports initially surfaced that a shooting had taken place at the shopping centre. There were also unverified reports that the suspects had taken refuge inside the mall and had possibly held some people hostage.

Hijack syndicate arrested on the N3

Briefly News reported that South Africans applauded the arrest of two suspects linked to a spate of hijackings on the N3 in Gauteng. The suspects were allegedly responsible for over 30 blue-light hijackings, targeting vehicles between the De Hoek Toll Gate and Villiers. They have been hijacking motorists since late 2024 between toll gates. The police acted on a tip-off and pounced on them.

Source: Briefly News