THE promise by Westville Station Commander, Col Sibongile Mhlongo, to work around the clock to bring to book the suspects responsible for two murders and a string of violent house robberies in the area has borne fruit.
In the early hours of Tuesday, 23 February, a gang forced entry into yet another home in Dawncliffe, Westville, matching the same modus operandi of the previous incidents.
Westville SAPS communications officer, Cpt Elizabeth Squires, said all men were allegedly wearing balaclavas and gloves.
“They held up the victims at gunpoint, tying them up in a bedroom. The suspects took more than an hour to ransack the house of numerous iPhones, iPads, televisions and other personal items.
“The robbers then fled in the two vehicles belonging to the homeowners. The alarm was raised shortly after the victims managed to free themselves and Westville SAPS were swift to respond.
“The Apple products were traced and the Durban Dog Unit vehicle followed the signal into KwaDabeka. The SAPS K9 Unit located the gang and a shootout ensued, leaving one man dead while the others managed to flee.”
Squires said lots of goods, including items from the morning’s robbery, were recovered in a house nearby. A short distance away, both vehicles taken that morning were also recovered.
Detectives are confident that the items found will match and link the gang to the other violent robberies in the area, added Squires.
Westville Community Police Forum chairman, Mike Myers, praised the SAPS Durban K9 Unit and Westville members.
“The complainants have also passed on their gratitude to the police for this breakthrough success. I am extremely proud of the police and wish to assure the community of Westville that the SAPS were pulling out all the stops to reign in these criminals and bring them to justice,” he said.
The KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lt-Gen Mmamonnye Ngobeni, praised the members for the swift response that led to the recovery of stolen goods. “We will work hard to trace the outstanding suspects who are still at large and we appeal to the community to assist by providing information about their whereabouts,” she said.
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