BusinessLive reports that the Gauteng Traffic Police (GTP) unit has urged motorists to beware of criminals posing as traffic officers with the intention of kidnapping, robbing or hijacking road users.
This after a doctor was hijacked and robbed while driving on the N3 highway near Vosloorus last weekend. The victim was stopped by five men driving a white vehicle with blue lights. Three of them were wearing police uniforms. “This is one of the trends used by hijackers to mislead motorists into falling victim to kidnappings and hijackings,” indicated GTP spokesperson Sello Maremane. He reiterated that every traffic officer must have an appointment certificate that identified who they were and the authority that had appointed them. “A member of the public has the right to demand to see such a certificate. Failure to produce such a certificate must be a red flag for the motorist. Motorists are also allowed to drive off if the certificate is not shown to them. It is also important to note that the National Road Traffic Act dictates that a traffic officer must have a name tag while stopping vehicles. Lastly, the branding of the vehicle can be used to identify the organisation’s identity even if it is not compulsory for officers to use branded vehicles,” said Maremane.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard at BusinessLive
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