Durban - A man wanted in connection with a double murder in the Eastern Cape was recently arrested after a shoot-out with Sydenham police.
The man and an accomplice were nabbed after two pupils were robbed while waiting for a bus.
“The girls were approached by a group of six men and one of the men produced a firearm. The man demanded one of the girls’ belongings and she refused. The man managed to get the girl’s cellphones and R1 000 from the pupil,” said Captain Myen Lazarus, a spokesperson at Sydenham police station.
He said one of the girls ran and the suspect fired a shot at her. The shooter missed and the girl ran down the road and saw a patrolling police van.
“She flagged down the officers, who raced to the scene and when the suspects saw the police, they started shooting. The officers returned fire and called for back-up,” Lazarus said.
The group split and ran into a bushy area in Elf Place. Police arrested two men.
They were both found with firearms and ammunition. Preliminary investigations revealed that one of the men was wanted in connection with a double murder case currently under investigation in the Eastern Cape.
The men were charged with attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and illegal possession of ammunition.
They made their first court appearance this week and were remanded at the Sydenham police station.
The men may be linked to a spate of robberies that have plagued the N2 and Clare Road bridge in recent months.