THESE days it's getting hard to tell real police from the fake ones.
This is because thugs are increasingly cloning police cars and unsuspecting motorists are falling victim to their tricks.
This is what happened to a hijack victim on Monday night, 4 September.
Police spokeswoman Captain Nelda Sekgobela said at 11.50pm on Monday, Tsakane police in Ekurhuleni were patrolling when they passed an open field between Tsakane Ext 22 and BP filling station and saw two stationary vehicles with their lights on.
She said as the police tactically approached the vehicles, the occupants in the stationary vehicles started shooting at them, the officers returned fire and called for backup.
She said when the police got closer to the vehicles, the suspects fled on foot.
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"Police found a white Iveco with the keys in the ignition. The vehicle was half loaded with Skynet Courier consignment mostly from Avon and most of the load was already offloaded. Some boxes were ripped open and placed on the ground. Police members were not wounded during the shoot-out," she said.
Sekgobela said a second car was a white Volkswagen Polo sedan fully branded with Gauteng Traffic Police Saturation Unit with the keys still in the ignition.
"There was a 43-year-old alleged hijack victim in the Polo. He told the police he was pulled over and hijacked on N3, about 5km from Total filling station driving towards Heidelberg direction not far from Vosloorus.
"The victim further mentioned that the suspects were wearing full traffic police uniforms with masks and they carried handguns. He said they told him he was under arrest for zigzagging on the road and he was placed on the back seat of the Polo," she said.
She said the victim further said one of the suspects drove the Iveco until they got to an open field in Tsakane, where he was rescued by Tsakane cops.
Sekgobela said two Gauteng Traffic Police pants and a shirt brown in colour, a reflector jacket and a cellphone were found in the Polo.
She said that the exhibits were taken to Tsakane cop shop and investigations were ongoing.
