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Bloemfontein - Two truck hijackers were sentenced to an effective 10 years imprisonment in the Harrismith Regional Court on Wednesday in a case that dragged on for almost three years.
Tobias Mahae, 27, and Njabuliso Khumalo, 28, from Umlazi near Durban remained in custody since their arrest at the De Hoek Toll plaza near Heidelberg in August 2012.
Both pleaded guilty on charges of armed robbery under aggravating circumstances.
Free State police spokesperson Sergeant Mmako Mophiring said the truck driver was asleep at the truck stop outside Warden on August 30, 2012 when he was surprised by three armed men pointing firearms at him.
“They tied him up with shoe laces and drove off with the truck and its cargo on the N3 towards Gauteng. On the bridge in the area of Warden they dropped him off and continued with their journey.
“The truck was tracked and stopped at De Hoek toll Plaza after Heidelberg police were informed of hijacking.
“The police found three suspects but one of them managed to flee. A truck with its original cargo and a firearm was recovered,” said Mopharing.
