05/09/2023
Manhunt Launched After Truck Driver Pulls a Daring R1,5million Diesel Heist - SA Trucker
Police have launched a manhunt for Elias Gray (it is not clear if this is his real name) who recently pulled a daring diesel heist against his employer, Alliance Fuel.
After careful planning, Gray managed to make a clean getaway with one of their multimillion rand trucks that was fully loaded with R1.5million worth of diesel.
The fugitive, believed to be a Zimbabwean national, is suspected to be hiding in Cape Town, where he is known for his extravagant lifestyle.
In a bid to facilitate Gray’s capture and the recovery of the stolen company truck, Alliance Fuel CEO’s, Walter Gilfillan, has offered a reward of R100,000 or $5,500.
“This is very bad for the fuel industry and we need to put a stop to it. This kind of brazen act doesn’t only hurt my business financially, but it also hurts our reputation because these syndicates are starting to think that we are easy to infiltrate,” said Gilfillan.
He added, “Our primary goal at the moment is to ensure the apprehension of the driver who absconded with our asset. We intend to make an example of him, sending a clear message that criminals will be apprehended and prosecuted, along with their accomplices.”
The reward I have put out is my way of assisting the cops and prosecuting authorities to facilitate a speedy arrest and we hope that the National Prosecuting Authority moves very swiftly on this case as a demonstration of how serious they are about bringing these syndicates to book.
Elias Gray
The specialist security contractor tasked to track down the driver and his accomplices said they believed the alleged thieves had a six-hour headstart after they had removed the tracking units from the truck.
“As the modus operandi goes, they plugged the tracking devices onto their own batteries to keep the signal on in order not to alert tracking companies and they disappeared.
“Right now, we kind of know that they have already emptied the load