Durban - Ladysmith police officers have been praised for their quick work in bringing down a suspected criminal syndicate, allegedly responsible for a spate of robberies in both KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
Provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Khombinkosi Jula commended the police officers for their alertness and for apprehending the suspects despite coming under fire.
“Criminals will soon realise that in KZN we have deployed rapid response teams in strategic locations and they cannot move freely in our neighbourhoods. Police officers from Ladysmith must be applauded for their bravery as they did not allow the suspects escape even when they were on foot,” he said.
According to police spokesperson, Brigadier Jay Naicker, police officers from Ladysmith conducted an operation at Ezakheni which led to the arrest of the four men as well as the seizure of a firearm and a stolen minibus taxi.
"Last week, police responded to intelligence of criminals in the area and spotted suspects travelling in a minibus taxi. Police instructed the suspects to stop, however when police officers approached the vehicle, the suspects opened fire at them. The suspects attempted to flee from police and crashed their vehicle into a wall. They then attempted to flee on foot however they were promptly arrested by the police officers," he said.
Naicker said all four men were injured due to the crash and were taken to hospital where they remained under police guard.
"Police seized a firearm as well as a toy gun from the suspects. Preliminary investigations revealed that the vehicle was stolen in Diepkloof. The suspects will be charged for attempted murder, possession of suspected stolen property and illegal possession of a firearm. They have also been linked to a murder at Ezakheni as well business robberies in Gauteng. Investigations to determine if they are linked to other crimes are still ongoing," he said.