A string of cellphone messages on a purported hijacking this week turned out to be smokescreen for partying with prostitutes, News24 reported on Thursday.
It said a KwaZulu-Natal technician had police on a national alert after unleashing a series of SMSes on Tuesday, saying he had been hijacked.
But the 30-year-old man was caught later that day in the Eastern Cape, where he apparently was partying with prostitutes.
Police had put up roadblocks on various routes on Tuesday, and numerous tollgates were watched for ”hijackers”.
While the technician pretended the hijackers were holding him in the boot of his company car, he was apparently spending his boss’s money in Umtata on clothes, liquor and prostitutes.
Of the R9 000, only R200 was left on Tuesday night, said Superintendent Ilse Claasen, commander of the unit against serious violent crimes in Port Shepstone.
Police help was called in about noon on Tuesday after the man sent an SMS to a colleague at a fridge and air-conditioning business in Port Shepstone.
According to manager James Chinasami, the SMS read: ”Hijacked. Please help. In Durban Road. Phone going off.”
The ”victim” indicated hijackers had overpowered him in Port Shepstone and stuffed him into the boot of his company’s blue Renault Clio.
Through the day, he sent more SMSes, saying the hijackers stopped every half hour to check if he was still all right.
At one point, he signalled that they were in Harrismith, and later he said the ”hijackers” had stopped in Heidelberg.
Even police in Pretoria got involved in the search.
Eventually, a police officer reported that he had seen the man in Mthatha, where he and another person apparently picked up prostitutes.
The man was brought back to Port Shepstone on Wednesday. He is due to appear in court on Thursday on charges of theft of his employer’s car and money, as well as defeating the ends of justice.
Police will seek a reimbursement from the technician of the money spent on the search for him, said the provincial commander of the violent crimes unit, Johan Booysen. — Sapa