Bogus municipal workers held for robbery and extortion in two separate incidents in the north and south of Durban

POLICE, Marshall Security and Urban Defence were involved in a high-speed chase, shootout and arrest of robbers involved in the Phoenix family robbery by at least six suspects pretending to be eThekwini Municipality electricity department employees robbing. | SAPS

POLICE, Marshall Security and Urban Defence were involved in a high-speed chase, shootout and arrest of robbers involved in the Phoenix family robbery by at least six suspects pretending to be eThekwini Municipality electricity department employees robbing. | SAPS

Published Mar 28, 2022

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DURBAN - Police, Marshall Security and Urban Defence were involved in a high-speed chase shoot-out and the arrest of at least six suspects pretending to be eThekwini Municipality electricity department employees.

A new modus operandi was also uncovered in Durban south when PT Alarms apprehended fake employees for committing extortion.

Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said that at 12.30pm on Saturday, police officers from Phoenix had received information about a vehicle with five occupants who had committed a house robbery in Phoenix earlier in the week.

Mbele said upon viewing video footage, the police officers realised that the vehicle was the same one that was used in a robbery in Phoenix on Thursday where the suspects had posed as municipal workers.

The police officers received information that the vehicle was heading towards KwaMashu from Reservoir Hills. The police then sped to the M19 where they located the vehicle on Inanda Road.

“A chase ensued and there was an exchange of gunfire. The suspects’ vehicle crashed along a barrier on Inanda Road near Parlock. All five suspects were apprehended at the scene. The suspects were injured in the collision and two were declared dead on the scene while the other three were detained,” said Mbele.

“During a search of the vehicle two firearms, jewellery, cellphones and various other items were found.”

Mbele said one of the suspects was out on bail for a jewellery store robbery that was committed at the Phoenix Plaza in November last year.

“Both firearms were seized and will be taken for ballistics testing. The vehicle that crashed was also seized and impounded for further investigation,” Mbele said.

“The three suspects will appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court facing charges for attempted murder, possession of suspected stolen property as well as unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.”

Marshall Security spokesperson Tyron Powell said the gang was wanted for hijackings and house robberies in areas including Avoca, Effingham, Kenville, Newlands and Phoenix.

Powell said all five suspects were arrested, two of them later succumbed to their injuries on the scene, one was taken to hospital under police guard and the other two suspects were taken to Newlands SAPS.

PT Alarms had responded and apprehended the four men who produced the documents at some businesses and then threatened to disconnect the electricity if they were not paid a sum of money. Picture: Supplied

On Friday, PT Alarms warned residents in the south of Durban to be on the alert after they apprehended four men in the Jacobs area in possession of fake municipality electricity department letters, which they were using to extort money while posing as municipal officials.

PT Alarms said the men had produced the documents at some businesses and then threatened to disconnect the electricity if they were not paid a sum of money.

One of the letters had an Umhlanga address on it.

PT Alarms said the municipality’s electricity investigation team and Umlazi K9 responded and the suspects were taken to Wentworth SAPS for further investigation.

The municipality had issued a warning to the public about the viral fake letter bearing the municipality logo.

“We appeal to the public to demand identification cards that bear the picture of an individual and a service number as opposed to letters of this nature. The City has learnt with shock that this letter was used by unscrupulous individuals to rob one family in Phoenix. We, therefore, urge law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in unmasking these criminals,” read the statement.

The letter produced by the robbers who robbed a Phoenix family while posing as municipal officials. Picture: Facebook

KZN VIP Protection Services spokesperson Gareth Naidoo warned that the men could be robbing people in other areas.

“It is believed that the robbers had multiple forms as well, although the homeowner was only shown the letter with their address,” Naidoo said.

“There’s a chance they (robbers) are doing this in other areas too.”

The suspects were driving a white Isuzu bakkie with the NDM registration and dressed in municipal clothing.

Daily News

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