The man was arrested after Roodepoort police got a tip-off that he was in the Booysens area on Tuesday morning, said Inspector Lorraine van Emmerik.

"The suspect was wanted for a hijacking in the Roodepoort area in April this year," she said.

On arrival in Booysens, the members of the Crime Intelligence Unit discovered that the man had moved from Booysens and they traced him to an address in Klipspruit where they arrested him.

A Ford Ranger hijacked in Sasolburg, Free State was found in the man's possession, Van Emmerik said.

Upon further investigation, police linked the man to a September 2003 case of "dealing in dependent producing substances", a January 2008 case of a theft of a motor vehicle, and a December 2008 assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

The vehicle was reported stolen in Kroonstad in the Free State.

The man, who was being held in the Klipspruit police station, could be linked to 16 more criminal cases, said Van Emmerik.

He was expected to appear in the Protea Magistrate's Court on Thursday.

Sapa

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