Mthatha - A suspected member of a syndicate stealing car parts at a police station was killed during a shootout, Eastern Cape police said on Wednesday.
The incident happened at 13 Camp, where recovered vehicles were kept at the Ngqeleni police station near Mthatha, on Tuesday night, Lt-Col Mzukisi Fatyela said.
“Police waited for suspects who arrived and started fiddling with the vehicles in the yard, and when they saw the police, they started shooting and the police returned fire,” Fatyela said.
One of the three men died of gunshot wounds. Two managed to escape.
Fatyela said the men were believed to be part of a syndicate that had been stripping vehicles at the police station.
“We managed to arrest a police officer in June who had been colluding with the syndicate. The investigations continue,” he said.
Sapa