Bloemfontein - An 18-year-old teenager was arrested at the Lesotho border on Saturday after he was allegedly found in possession of a vehicle hijacked in Ladybrand, Free State police said.
It was alleged that the 24-year-old complainant was driving home from a shopping centre in Ladybrand at about 7.30pm on Friday when he was accosted by four armed men at a red traffic light in Pierre Ollemans Street in Brandwag, Sergeant Martin Xuma said in a statement.
“Fearing for his life he fled the scene leaving the vehicle with [the] hijackers. He later reported the matter to the police in Parkweg and an activation plan was put in place, including at ports of entry to Lesotho.”
At about 10am on Saturday, an 18-year-old suspect was arrested as he tried to drive the stolen vehicle across the Lesotho border through the Maseru port of entry, he said.
“The vehicle’s registration plates had been replaced with Lesotho’s registration plates, and the police managed to trace its originality through the chassis number.”
The suspect would appear in the Ladybrand Magistrate’s Court on Monday on a charge of possession of a suspected stolen vehicle, Xuma said.
African News Agency