Cape Town - The leader of a notorious Cape Flats gang has been gunned down in broad daylight.
Fancy Boys leader Shamiel Eyssen, 45, had apparently been recently released from prison.
Eyssen, 45, was convicted in 2007, after a court found he and his gang robbed the rich to finance their passion for fast cars, expensive jewellery, sexy women and branded goods, as well as guns and drugs.
The gang’s base was a double storey house in Milner Street, Salt River, nicknamed “Dutches” and was secured like Fort Knox.
According to police, on Saturday just after 3pm, three unidentified males fired several shots at Eyssen along Charles Calvert Street in Bishop Lavis.
Eyssen was killed instantly.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana explains: “A case of murder has been opened after a shooting incident that occurred on 1 April near Charlesville, Bishop Lavis."
“According to information, a 45-year-old man was shot and fatally wounded by three unidentified suspects who fled the scene in a silver Toyota Yaris."
“Circumstance surrounding this incident are under investigation.”
Eyssen, together with his henchmen, Reduwaan Doubts, Marwaan Alexander, Shahied Khan, Munier Effendi, Moegamat Abrahams, Clive Adams and Gerhard Riley, were convicted in 2007 at the Western Cape High Court.
The State found them guilty of committing a string of crimes where they targeted homes in Camps Bay, Newlands, Milnerton, Durbanville and Constantia from November 2001 until December 2003.
The gang would gain entry to the posh homes and then terrorise the occupants.
The breakthrough in the case came when one of their accomplices, Mishal Donough, turned State witness.
In one chilling incident, Donough testified how the gang spotted a woman driving a Mercedes-Benz A Class.
They took down the registration and Eyssen apparently used contacts in the vehicle registration office to find out the address of the owner.
But when the gang went to her home in Newlands to look for the car, it wasn’t there.
They did not have any guns with them that day, so decided not to rob the house, returning instead a few days later.
The gang faced 76 counts including racketeering, robbery, house breaking, unlawful possession of firearms, ammunition and receiving stolen property under the POCA (Prevention of Organised Crime Act).
They were found guilty and sentenced to 20 years behind bars.
In 2008, Eyssen’s sentence was reduced to 15 years after making an appeal at the Supreme Court of Appeal, based on the fact that the court could not prove he was managing the operations and activities of the gang.
It is believed he was recently released on parole.