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Photo: Bongiwe Mchunu

A gang of thugs shot dead a security guard and a youth, shot and wounded two other guards and raped a teenager in a “horrendous” crime spree in Mpumalanga, police said on Friday.

“Police are in pursuit of three heartless criminals who fatally shot a security guard and a 17-year-old boy, then wounded two other guards,” Lt-Col Leonard Hlathi said in a statement.

The crime spree took place in the Mhala district near the Mozambican border, about 300km from Nelspruit, on Thursday.

The men shot three security guards at the Rolle railway station and stole two revolvers and a 9mm pistol, Lt-Col Leonard Hlathi said in a statement. All three were hospitalised, where one later died.

The armed gang then went to a shop, where they demanded guns from two security guards.

“The suspects then realised that these guards had no firearms. They then dragged them inside the shop they were guarding and stole money,” Hlathi said.

The three men went to a house at the back of the shop, tied up the occupants at gunpoint and demanded money and firearms.

“The suspects then ruthlessly killed a 17-year-old boy who was in the house,” said Hlathi.

From there, the gang went to Hokwe Trust in Mhala.

“They forcefully entered a certain house and gang raped an 18-year-old girl. They also went to another house and continued with their horrendous acts where the occupants were robbed of their vehicle, which was later found a few metres away from the house,” said Hlathi.

No arrests had been made by late Friday afternoon. Anyone with information about the crimes was asked to contact Lt Col Ntombikayise Marivate at 082-469-1250. - Sapa