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Suspect arrested after hijacking truck carrying alcohol near Grasmere

Cape Town - Johannesburg metro police on Friday arrested one suspect and recovered R3m worth of alcoholic beverages, after a truck transporting liquor was stolen at the Grasmere filling station on the N1.

Johannesburg MMC for Public Safety, Michael Sun, said the metro police department's K-9 Unit responded to a tracker signal after the truck carrying Smirnoff Vodka was stolen.

The vehicle was traced in Bekkersdal, and the driver was found tied up inside the truck.

"The driver was able to confirm that three armed suspects offloaded the goods at a different location, and officers were able to track the stolen goods to a house in Randfontein," said Sun in a statement.   

One suspect was arrested for possession of stolen goods. Another three suspects managed to escape.

On their way back to Johannesburg, the metro police officers arrested another male suspect for possession of a stolen Toyota Tazz which had no number plates. 

Both suspects are expected to appear in the Randfontein Magistrate's Court next week.  

Sun said the truck and the vodka were safely returned to the owner.

Grasmere has been the scene of a number of car and truck hijackings.

In May, Saps and metro police arrested five men, allegedly part of a truck hijacking syndicate, near the Grasmere Toll Gate on the N1, after they hijacked a truck carrying pharmaceutical goods worth approximately R2m.

The five suspects were arrested while wearing metro police uniforms and travelling in unmarked vehicles.

Two of the five suspects were later found to have been out on bail for their part in the O.R Tambo International Airport heist.

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