The South African Police Service (SAPS) has announced the arrest of a 35-year-old constable for allegedly hijacking a Volkswagen Polo and possessing a stolen BMW.
The SAPS thanked Cartrack for its assistance in tracking down the suspect, resulting in the recovery of the stolen Polo and the suspect’s arrest.
While driving from Lothair towards Ermelo, the complainant gave a lift to two men when stopped at a fuel station to refill.
The two men forced him into the back seat of his car and drove along the N11 towards Hendrina while forcing the victim to provide his PIN code for his bank card.
They met up with an accomplice, who arrived in a BMW with another passenger in the car, before taking the victim to Breyten to withdraw money through an ATM.
The victim managed to escape when the criminals attempted to put him in the back of the BMW. They reported the matter to the police in Ermelo.
“It was during this period when Cartrack Company came on board and shared information on the whereabouts of the vehicle,” a SAPS spokesperson said.
“A chase then ensued and the one driving the VW Polo got away and abandoned the vehicle then fled to evade arrest. It appears as if the driver was alone at that time.”
On 16 June 2024, the victim told the SAPS that he had seen the BMW involved in the incident at a car wash in Ermelo.
Officers quickly swooped in to find the BMW and the suspect. He was arrested, and his vehicle was confiscated to allow further investigation.
“Police discovered that the BMW was being sought after it was reportedly stolen some days back; hence, the suspect was charged with possession of a suspected stolen vehicle.,” the spokesperson said.
The suspect is a Constable attached to the Ermelo Police Station and works as a court orderly at Ermelo Magistrate’s Court.
He was expected to appear at the same court on Tuesday, 18 June, to face charges of hijacking and possession of a stolen vehicle.
The SAPS said it was still in pursuit of the other suspects, who remain at large.
“Thanks to Cartrack Company for their assistance with information that was operationalized by the men and women in Blue, resulting in the recovery of the VW Polo,” the police added.
Karooooo-owned Cartrack was founded by Zak Valisto in 2004. At its launch, it offered a stolen vehicle recovery service in South Africa.
It has since grown into a multinational giant with operations in 23 countries.
Initially launched as a joint venture with Netstar, Cartrack separated from its partner in 2004.
Cartrack was listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in 2014 before delisting in 2021 to launch on the Nasdaq with Karooooo as its holding company.
It has since expanded its services to include fleet management, stolen vehicle recovery, and insurance telematics.
According to Karooooo’s fourth quarter results for the period ended 29 February 2024, Cartrack’s subscribers grew from 1.71 million in Q4 2023 to 1.97 million in Q4 2024.
It also reported a 65% increase in net Cartrack subscriber additions.
At the same time, it released unaudited results for the 2023/24 financial year, revealing a significant increase in Cartrack’s profit.
Its operating profit grew by 17% to R1.069 billion, accompanied by a 17% increase in subscription revenue, from R3.01 billion in 2022/23 to R3.54 billion in 2023/24.
The company set the following goals for the 2024/25 financial year:
- Grow Cartrack’s subscriber base to between 2.2 million and 2.4 million;
- Grow Cartrack subscription revenue to between R3.9 billion and R4.15 billion;
- Grow Cartrack’s operating profit margin by 27% to 31%; and,
- Increase Karooooo’s earnings per share to between R27.50 and R31.
Source
mybroadband.co.za
