THREE young thugs kidnapped a motorist after hijacking him near Alexandra, north of Joburg.
They drove with him to a house in Lombardy, Alexandra, where they demanded his bank details and his cellphone.
The motorist was tied and left in the garage of the house. The trio went on a shopping spree at Alex Mall.
But they didn't count on the quick response of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD), South African Police Service (SAPS), a vehicle tracking company and a bank security team.
They got the shock of their lives when cops pounced unexpectedly.
The suspects - all in their early 20s - were caught red-handed while paying at the till and having blown a whopping R45 000 at a clothing store inside the mall.
The thugs were busy using the victim's phone to swipe for expensive designer clothes and takkies.
What was supposed to be a luxury shopping spree ended in tears and handcuffs for the trio who thought they had scored the jackpot!
ALSO READ | WATCH | Misuzulu's viral video: The king 'deeply regrets'Opens in new window
EMPD spokeswoman Lieutenant-Colonel Kelebogile Thepa said the drama started on Wednesday morning, 8 July, when the suspects kidnapped their victim between Greenstone and London Road.
"They grabbed his car and forced him into captivity, immediately demanding his bank details."
Thepa said cops first found the victim's abandoned car in Alex, but the suspects were nowhere to be found. And at the same time, the bank security team noticed heavy bleeding of cash!
"Cops rushed to the mall and caught two of the suspects red-handed at the till, still clutching the victim's car keys."
Thepa said the arrested suspects led cops straight to a house in Thoko Nongoma Street, East Bank, where they cornered the third suspect.
"Boxes of expensive footwear and clothing bought with the victim's money were seized. Cops also found an unlicenced black Norinco pistol with its serial number filed off, along with a stash of ammunition."
She said the victim was found safe and sound at a garage of a house in Lombardy.
The three suspects were taken to Alexandra Police Station. They're facing charges of kidnapping, hijacking, extortion, as well as possession of an unlicenced firearm and ammunition.
