The Gauteng Department of Community Safety has urged courier companies and delivery drivers to remain on high alert following a surge in hijackings targeting courier vehicles across the province.
In a media statement issued on Friday, the department said courier drivers have increasingly become targets for criminal syndicates seeking to steal valuable parcels, electronic devices and vehicles. It warned that drivers making deliveries in unfamiliar or high-risk areas should exercise extra caution.
The department advised drivers to stick to planned delivery routes, avoid stopping in isolated areas and remain alert to suspicious individuals or vehicles that may be following them. It also encouraged companies to strengthen security by fitting vehicles with functional tracking devices, maintaining regular communication with drivers, conducting route risk assessments and providing hijacking response training.
The department said, “Drivers are advised to avoid deviating from planned delivery routes, refrain from stopping in isolated areas, and remain aware of suspicious individuals or vehicles that may be following them. Where possible, deliveries should be coordinated through secure verification processes, and drivers should avoid displaying valuable items or discussing delivery contents with unauthorised persons.”
The provincial government added that it continues to invest in e-Policing technologies, including CCTV cameras, helicopters and e-Panic buttons, while law enforcement agencies work alongside private security companies to combat vehicle-related crimes and dismantle criminal networks.
The warning follows recent intelligence-driven operations conducted by the Gauteng Traffic Police (GTP) and other law enforcement agencies. In one operation in Winchester Hills, Mondeor, south of Johannesburg, five suspects were arrested and one was fatally wounded after they were allegedly linked to the hijacking of a company vehicle. Authorities recovered the hijacked vehicle, three suspects’ vehicles, an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
In a separate operation in Reiger Park, Boksburg, two suspects allegedly linked to courier company robberies and other violent crimes were fatally wounded during a shootout and high-speed chase after police received information that they were planning another robbery. Officers recovered two motor vehicles, unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
The department has also called on members of the public to remain vigilant when expecting deliveries and to report any information relating to hijackings or suspicious criminal activity to the South African Police Service through Crime Stop or the MySAPS App.
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