Suspects killed in police shootout linked to Umbilo and Berea robberies
Five suspects, who were killed during a shootout with police in Woodlands Avenue, have been positively linked by police to a number of crimes in the Berea and Umbilo areas.
THE five suspects, who died yesterday during a police shootout in Woodlands, have been linked to a number of carjackings and robberies in the Berea and Umbilo area.
Police said the stolen vehicle which the suspects were found in has been used to commit crimes in Umbilo, Berea and Pinetown previously.
Recently released crime statistics showed that carjackings increased significantly for both Umbilo (51 per cent) and Berea (46 per cent).
“It is quite disturbing to see police officers being attacked while executing their duties. The police officers will defend themselves when they come under attack. I am glad that no injuries were sustained by the team,” said Liutenant General Khombinkosi Jula, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner.
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According to a police statement, yesterday at 5.30pm, the police officers from the Durban K9 Unit were following up on information about a stolen vehicle that was used in a number of cases in Durban.
“It was then spotted on the M7 highway towards the Bellair area. A chase then ensued between the suspects and the police towards the Malvern area. The suspects’ vehicle crashed into a concrete light pole and brick wall and overturned on Woodlands Avenue in Bellair while they fired shots at the police,” read the statement.
Following a shootout with police, a total of five suspects believed to be in their 30s were declared dead at the scene.
Three unlicensed firearms with six rounds of ammunition were seized from the deceased suspects.
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Police said the suspects were positively linked to a business robbery case that was committed yesterday in Umbilo where a vehicle and other belongings were taken from the business premises.
The suspects were also linked to another case of carjacking reported in Pinetown where a motorist was robbed of his vehicle yesterday morning.
The preliminary investigation gathered at the scene also revealed that the said vehicle was taken during a house robbery in Newlands East in June 2020.
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