Truck hijacking is an R8.5-bn business

High-profile gun battles in Gauteng involving fake police cars and hijackers dressed as policemen have put the spotlight on the problem of truck hijacking in South Africa. “The biggest problem we face in South Africa is that the police are involved in the hijacking of vehicles,” David Duffus of DPS March told FTW during an interview in the company’s Ndola headquarters earlier this year. “Police are involved in up to 60% of hijackings in Gauteng,” he claimed. DPS March assists with securing high-value exports such as tobacco and copper out of Zambia. This is borne out by cross-border hauliers who tell FTW that the biggest risk to highvalue cargo out of the SADC region comes when it crosses the border into South Africa. Cargo owners are choosing ports like Dar es Salaam, Walvis Bay and Beira because of the reduced risk. Their claims are supported by the arrest of an off-duty policeman who was a member of the armed hijacking gang which was apprehended by the police after two were shot dead during a chase on September 2. According to Hugo van Zyl, CEO of the South African Insurance Crime Bureau (SAICB), some R8.5 billion worth of vehicles is stolen and hijacked in South Africa every year. That sum excludes the value of the cargo. It is estimated that, of the R8.5 billion worth of vehicles stolen, R4.9 billion’s worth is taken across the border; R3.1 billion stays in SA as cloned vehicles and R514 million ends up in chop shops across SA's borders. Sophisticated forging of documentation allows the trucks to be driven through the border posts unchallenged. “Cross-border syndicates are a growing concern, thanks to our porous borders and the fact that crime prevention stakeholders aren’t yet pooling resources effectively,” says Van Zyl. Speaking to business leaders in Gauteng Van Zyl called on the heads of some of South Africa’s leading companies to take action to combat the scourge. He says there is an increase in the incidence of the hijacking of trucks, “yellow metal” vehicles, trailers and cargo. According to SAPS statistics, truck hijackings steadily decreased by 8.6% per annum over a four-year period ending February 2012. Since then there has been a significant spike, according to the industry. “Truck f leets are targeted due to the potential multiplier that their cargo offers to syndicates. Criminals often know exactly what cargo is being transported, as well as the approximate value, says Michael van Wyngaardt, Tracker Business executive. Hijackers stage accidents or set up false roadblocks. Hauliers and cargo owners can help combat hijacking by sharing information, according to van Zyl. The success of the police operation early in September is a sign that the tide could be turning. There is greater cooperation between the South African Police Service, the South African National Defence Force and SADC countries. Pound clean-ups in Gauteng, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland have helped reduce the number of cloned vehicles re-entering the system. Van Zyl warns hauliers to ensure that any secondhand vehicles they purchase have not been stolen as insurance companies do not have to cover cloned vehicles. It is estimated that some 39 000 vehicles “re-appeared” on the licensing system in 2013. INSERT Biggest risk to highvalue cargo out of the SADC region comes when it crosses the border into South Africa.