Strict standard operating procedures help foil hijackers

Signal jamming devices are increasingly being used in truck hijackings as this means that criminals don’t have to uncouple the horse from the trailer and use their own horse to get away with the loot. The use of these relatively inexpensive pieces of equipment has made it a lot easier for hijackers to get their hands on merchandise, said Johan Robinson, operations manager of the Risk Management Solution (RMS) division at Combined Private Investigations (CPI), leading to truckers becoming vulnerable targets. One of the most successful ways to overcome this problem is to have a very strict standard operating procedure (SOP) in place. “The SOP should be designed in such a way that full control can be exercised over the actions of the drivers and the routes taken by them. If the SOP is used in conjunction with on-going GPS tracking, it has a considerable impact on the risk,” he said. At the same time drivers should be vetted and preemployment polygraph tests must be standard procedure before recruiting new staff. “This enables one to determine if the person has been involved in previous hijacking cases.” With signal jamming devices becoming more prevalent, Robinson – whose department focuses on the protection of high value, high-risk cargo in transit – urges companies to tighten up on their current SOPs. “We recommend that companies implement even stricter control over the container movements and driver actions based on information gathered during the hijacking incidents in 2014,” he told FTW. “We are constantly busy with research and development of new technology and equipment as well as procedures in an effort to curb these crimes.” According to Robinson, premises such as plots or smallholdings owned or rented by foreign nationals are increasingly being identified as receiving and distribution hubs. “These premises are usually easily accessible to the hijackers and are well situated in the Johannesburg and East Rand areas. They are usually well secured with high perimeter walls. This makes it very difficult to identify these hubs.” He says it is however imperative for anyone who has a vehicle hijacked to ensure a thorough investigation takes place. “In 2014 there were four hijacking incidents where containers were secured by CPI. In all four cases thorough investigations were undertaken and this resulted in four recoveries with no losses being incurred.” Investigations also send a very clear message to perpetrators, said Robinson. INSERT & CAPTION Drivers should be vetted and pre-employment polygraph tests must be standard procedure. –Johan Robison