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__________ Goods __________ A highly lucrative crime operated by syndicates is the hijacking of freight carriers primarily for the purpose of securing their loads. With an average of 15 trucks being hijacked every day syndicates have exploited all possible avenues of income by disposing of both load and vehicle. The sophistication of tracking devices has managed to keep this in check but clever use of prostitutes has exploited driver vulnerability. While the police estimate a "significantly high number" of hijackings to be fraudulent (due to internal collusion) the advent of owner driver schemes contributes positively toward controlling this crime. __________ Syndicate __________ With international connections the network of criminals extends across South Africa's borders and serves to facilitate the movement of vehicles (stolen & hijacked), drugs and other commodities. This network places and takes orders and effects payment for services by a variety of methods. Their effectiveness is exacerbated by their ready access to money which not only pays the foot soldiers but which is also used to bribe authorities. Papers, police clearances and false documents being obtained to register vehicles for ease of export. __________ Opportunistic Hijacking __________ In some instances the hijackers did not set out to hijack the victim. Circumstances however were possibly conducive to the hijacking of a vehicle that could be used as transport from A to B or possibly there were goods in the vehicle that were wanted by the criminals. Once the primary motivation for hijacking the vehicle has been addressed the vehicle may be abandoned or sold. __________ Ulterior Motive __________ The vehicle which is hijacked my have been taken for the primary purpose of utilizing to commit or perpetuate another crime such as cash in transit heists/ bank robbery / drug trafficking. Since speed tends to be of importance the vehicles of choice are those that satisfy this criteria. __________ Other Hijacking __________ Hijacking may be one aspect of what certain gangs are required to perform as part of initiation procedures with the rite of passage being acts of bravado such as hijacking. __________ Key-jacking - Am I Safe In My House? __________ Not wishing to shock you, but evidence shows that car-jackers will tour affluent areas looking at cars parked outside houses. If they see one that they want they may try and break in to the house to steal the keys, without the owners knowing, or there are a hard-core band that will break into the house and attack the owners getting them to hand over the keys.
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