Yesterday, police in Newlands East were conducting crime prevention duties in their area when they intercepted a VW Polo vehicle which was hijacked at Ntuzuma earlier in the day. The vehicle with three occupants sped off when police approached them. Police then gave chase as the vehicle proceeded towards Richmond Farm.
The suspects opened fire at police and police returned fire to defend themselves. During the shootout one suspect was fatally wounded whilst a second suspect was injured and taken to hospital where he remains under police guard. A third suspect managed to fled the scene. Police recovered an unlicensed 9mm pistol suspected to be the same used in the commission of the hijacking at Ntuzuma.
In the second incident, police from Inanda SAPS arrested two suspects who were found in possession of two unlicensed firearms. The police officers were conducting crime prevention duties in their area when they spotted a vehicle with five occupants which aroused their suspicions. Police attempted to stop the said vehicle to conduct an investigation however the driver sped off.
Police gave chase and managed to bring the vehicle to a standstill. Four suspects were arrested whilst one managed to flee the scene. The vehicle was searched and two unlicensed 9mm pistols were seized. All four suspects were charged for being in possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. They will appear in the Ntuzuma Magistrates Court later today.
The KwaZulu-Natal Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Bheki Langa commended police officers for the arrests and seizure of unlicensed firearms. “We are very pleased that these thugs have been arrested. We are certain that these men would have committed further crimes had they not been arrested by alert police officials.
We are also requesting our communities to remain vigilant and not to hesitate to call on police should they witness suspicious activities in their neighbourhoods,” he said.