Durban - Metro police and the K9 unit arrested four suspects on Wednesday who were travelling in a hijacked car, were in possession of a stolen firearm, and had boxes of cigarettes which had been reported stolen.
The arrest was made about 9am, after a dramatic 30-minute chase of the four in vehicles and on foot.
The suspects, believed to be between the ages of 20 and 25, were badly injured when the car they were travelling in crashed. Police dogs and officers raced after them.
Police spokesman Thulani Zwane said police were patrolling in the Shallcross area when they were alerted to a hijacked white Hyundai that had been spotted.
He said police went to Burlington Drive, where they tried to stop the car, but the suspects sped off. Information was circulated and more police joined the chase.
“Police tried stopping the car in Ukuthuna Road in St Wendolins, but the suspects fired at them and police retaliated. The suspects crashed the vehicle and fled into nearby houses,” he said.
One of the four was shot in the leg. Metro police dog handler Victor Botha, who was at the scene, caught one of the suspects. “I tracked one of the suspects. He fled from the car and hid in one of the outside buildings. Another suspect was apprehended by a police dog when hiding behind a door in the same building. One suspect handed himself over. The last one was also hiding in one of the houses and was arrested,” he said.
It later emerged that the cigarettes had been stolen from a hijacked VW Caddy on its way to make a delivery and were worth about R60 000. A stolen Glock pistol was seized.
“Three suspects were taken to a local hospital for treatment and are under police guard. The other suspect has been detained at Chatsworth police station,” said Zwane.
They would appear in court soon.
The Mercury
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