A pistol with seven rounds of ammunition was recovered from the suspects.
“It is alleged that a 19-year-old man was stationary on the R103 highway assisting an elderly man to get into the vehicle when three men, who were standing few metres away pretending to be hitchhikers got into the vehicle. They forced the driver and the elderly man into the vehicle at gunpoint. They drove off on the R74 highway, where they were spotted by the Ezakheni police officers,” said Naicker.
The suspects, aged between 22 and 27, were arrested for hijacking and possession of a firearm and ammunition.
They are due to appear in the Estcourt magistrate’s court.
KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner Lt-Gen Khombinkosi Jula, commended the police officers for being alert. “We will maintain visibility throughout the festive period to remove criminals off our streets,” he said.