TWO suspects, one of whom has been identified as a police officer from Durban Flying Squad, were shot and killed in a shootout with police in Durban’s CBD this morning. A further two suspects were wounded as police and criminals exchanged fire.
According to police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane, at around 1.30am this morning, security guards on duty at a supermarket in the CBD were allegedly kidnapped and dropped off in the Isipingo area. “The suspects forced entry into the premises and took an undisclosed amount of cash after cutting the safe open,” he said. Zwane said police had been alerted to the incident and spotted a suspicious white Toyota Etios in the vicinity. “The suspects allegedly opened fire on police who retaliated. The suspects lost control of the vehicle they were in and it overturned,” he said.
Zwane confirmed two suspects were found dead inside the vehicle and another two were wounded and taken to hospital for treatment. “Two unlicensed firearms and electrical detonators were recovered. While the police were busy at the scene, they noticed another suspicious black VW Polo vehicle driving slowly past the scene. The vehicle was stopped and searched and police recovered an unlicensed firearm, airtime vouchers and the money suspected stolen during the robbery,” Zwane said.
Police arrested a further two suspects. Zwane confirmed that one of the deceased suspects was a police officer stationed at Durban Flying Squad. The arrested suspects were aged between 30 and 35.
