A GAUTENG family who were making their way to the OR Tambo International Airport to leave on their Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, were attacked on the N1 Western Bypass, by men posing as police officers.
But the brave father and son fought back and managed to catch one of the suspects who tried to flee on foot.
Ahmed Saber, 62, a businessman from Krugersdorp, said he was travelling to the airport with his wife, son and daughter about four weeks ago when the incident happened.
“We were in a kombi and my son was driving. He was going to drop us off at the airport. I was in the front passenger seat and my wife and daughter were at the back. We were leaving for Saudi Arabia for Umrah.”
Saber said as they neared the Rivonia off-ramp, a car pulled up next to them.
“There were three occupants in the car. The car was not a police vehicle. But the occupants were wearing shirts that were a similar colour to the police uniform. They flashed a police badge at us and indicated that we must pull over.”
Saber said at the time they believed the men were real police officers and pulled over to the side of the road.
“One of the men came to my son and asked if he had a firearm. My son lied and said he did not. He then asked for his licence and wanted to know where we were heading to. We told him we were going to the airport and he asked to see our passports.”
Saber said the man looked at the passports and then gave them back before asking for one of them back. “I gave him my passport,” said Saber. He said the man started to do a “tap” search on his son and found the gun.
“He made my son remove the magazines from the gun and then pulled the key out of the ignition.”
Saber said the man then called one of his accomplices to stand next to my son.
“The accomplice held onto my son’s firearm and phones. The man then went to my wife and daughter and told them to take out all the money they had from their handbags. They told him they did not have anything and then he came to me.”
He said they opened the passenger-side door and started riffling his pockets.
“I had money that I had exchanged for travel in my pocket and he took it. I realised something was amiss because this was unusual behaviour for police officers. I started screaming for him to give me my money back. The man then called a second accomplice, who was seated in the car and gave him the money and two cellphones,” he said.
“I had my seat belt clipped across the seat and I was sitting against it. While I was screaming for them to return my money, the man hit me on my chest. I had a sudden adrenalin rush and I pushed my way out of the car.”
Saber said the men got scared and started fleeing in all directions.
“The accomplice who was with my son, managed to flee by running down the highway and up an embankment. He dropped my son’s gun, cellphones and my passport. The man who hit me, ran up the highway while the third suspect went back into the car and drove off.”
A determined Saber said he chased after him. “I tried to get inside the car through the window to get to the suspect but I missed. I fell as he sped off. We managed to catch the suspect who ran up the highway. In the chaos my wife and daughter managed to flag down motorists for help,” he added.
He said despite the ordeal, they managed to make it to the airport on time and left for Umrah.
“We returned home two weeks ago. We were shaken but doing fine. This is not the first time we have been victims of crime. Between our home and the supermarket we have had three attempted robberies. Now everyone in my family, except for my daughter, carries a gun for safety. South Africa is a beautiful country to live in but the crime is out of control,” said Saber.
Yusuf Abramjee, a crime activist, said the highway robbers near the airport was an ongoing problem.
“We have had scores of cases over the past few years. Criminals are posing as police officers. They are robbing and hijacking victims. In some incidents they are even taking the victims captive and emptying out their bank accounts.”
Abramjee said police needed to beef up their operations.
“Motorists that are targeted should not stop if they feel the situation is suspicious. They should rather indicate to the people stopping them to follow them to a public place or police station.”
The POST