Two suspects who are alleged to have hijacked tourists close to the Kruger National Park have been successfully arrested, the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) has announced.

Two American tourists were travelling ten kilometres from Paul Kruger Gate when they were hijacked by two males at gunpoint last week. The suspects were travelling with a Golf with blue lights before being arrested by the South African Police Service.

The suspects were found with the belongings of the tourists, including laptops, an iPad, cellphones and credit cards.

“The entity would like to applaud the sterling work by the SAPS and this shows that all the systems that have been put in place are working and very effective. It is evident that anyone who commits any crime, especially to our tourists, will be arrested,” MTPA said in a statement

“We would like to appeal to our tourists to adhere to the safety tips issued to them especially to avoid travelling at night, avoid carrying large sums of cash and asking strangers for directions,” said MTPA CEO, Mduduzi Vilakazi.

The MTPA said it would continue to work with the SAPS and private sector to ensure that the country’s tourists were safe when visiting the province.