Police spokesperson, Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone, said the first incident occurred in Mahikeng on Friday when a man driving a VW Polo Vivo from Mahikeng to Lichtenburg offered three unknown males a lift.

“They were near Rooigrond, when one of the men requested him to stop so that he could answer his phone. He allegedly stopped and one of the men got out and walked to the driver’s door. The man allegedly opened the door and pushed the driver to the passenger seat. The man then drove off until near Itsoseng where the car owner was dropped,” he said.

In three separate incidents in Letlhabile near Brits, on Saturday, three vehicles were hijacked by two men at the Letlhabile-Rosslyn intersection.

He said victims were taken to the same secluded area in Damonsville and robbed of their phones, laptop, clothes, bank cards and cash.

“The victims were left with their cars in the bushes after being robbed, except in one incident where a car was taken. However, it was later found along the M17 road near Soshanguve.”

He said out of the four incidents, three of them occurred as a result of lifts offered to the suspects.

“The suspects in the Mahikeng case were arrested later on Friday, in Randfontein and the car recovered.”

The police in North West province warned motorists to desist from offering lifts to hitchhikers.

ANA