Johannesburg - Perlemoen (abalone) worth an estimated R3 million was found in a car following a shoot-out between two men and metro police in Roodepoort on Thursday morning, Johannesburg metro police said.
“Officers had stopped a suspicious-looking BMW on Gordon Road from the N1; then the suspects sped off (with the officers in pursuit) until they got to William Nicol Road in Florida,” said Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar.
“That is just behind Flora Clinic. There the suspects started shooting at the officers. Officers returned fire.”
Two men jumped out the car, scaled a wall, and fled the scene.
Police inspected the car and found about 20 bags of perlemoen.
“It was in the boot and the back of the vehicle... The two suspects are still at large,” said Minnaar.
The shoot-out happened at around 9am.
“No officers were injured. However, a passer-by in a Ford Ranger had his windscreen shot out in the cross-fire. The man and two-year-old child in the car were not injured,” he said.
Metro police and the South African Police Service were searching the area for the two men.
Sapa