Suspects injured in shootout with KZN police

Picture: Ivandrei Pretorius/Pexels

Picture: Ivandrei Pretorius/Pexels

Published Sep 15, 2019

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DURBAN - An alleged hijacker and robber have been wounded in a shootout with police and two other suspects have been arrested in police operations in KwaZulu-Natal this weekend, police in the province said on Sunday.

Over the weekend, police officers performing stabilisation operations were strategically deployed at hotspots in various police precincts, Lt-Col Thulani Zwane said.

A vehicle which was hijacked on Saturday at Amanzimtoti, south of Durban, was recovered soon afterwards at Umkomaas, further down the South Coast.

"The two victims were at a well-known braai spot at llovo Beach when they were attacked by four suspects. They were robbed of their personal belongings, including bank cards. The suspects demanded their pin codes which they later used to withdraw cash from the victims' bank accounts."

The suspects left the scene with the victims' vehicle and their getaway vehicle. Police were notified of the robbery and alerted police officers at surrounding police stations to be on the lookout for the suspects.

The hijacked vehicle was spotted at Umkomaas a short while later and a shootout ensued between the police officers and the suspects. One of the suspects was arrested after he was wounded during the shootout. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

The hijacked vehicle was also recovered by police. The arrested suspect would face charges for being in possession of a stolen vehicle and robbery.

Also on Saturday, in Durban Central, police were conducting operations when they were stopped by the victim of a robbery at Margaret Mcadi Avenue. After interviewing the victim and getting a proper description of the suspect, police officers conducted a search for the men.

The victim accompanied the police officers and the two suspects were soon spotted in close proximity of the scene of the crime.

"Police pounced on the men and searched them. They were found in possession of a knife and a car remote jamming device. The two suspects were arrested and charged with robbery, possession of dangerous weapons, and possession of car breaking implements," Zwane said.

African News Agency (ANA)

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