Five of Durban’s most wanted suspects killed in shootout with cops in KZN

Five of Durban’s most wanted suspects have been killed in a bloody shootout with police in KwaZulu-Natal.

The criminals were fatally wounded after they started shooting at officers on Abbot Francis Road in Mariannhill on Thursday afternoon.

Shootout

Police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda said the officers had acted on intelligence received on the whereabouts of the wanted suspects when the shootout happened.

“When the police signalled for the suspects’ to pull over, the suspects fired shots at the police and a shootout ensued. After the shootout, five suspects were found to have suffered fatal gunshot wounds.

“One of the suspects has been on the police’s wanted list in connection with a series of murders and other serious violent crimes. He was also linked to the Mariannhill scrapyards murder crime scenes where five people were shot and killed in two separate incidents in February this year,” Netshiunda said.

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Netshiunda added that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) has been informed for further investigations.

Hawks officer killed in shootout

Last week, a member of the Hawks’ tactical operations management section (Toms) was killed in a shootout with a group of suspects in Mamelodi.

Three suspects were also killed during the shootout which took place on Thursday, 8 June.

Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Nomthandazo Mbambo said the tactical officers were reportedly monitoring a house in Mamelodi where it was suspected that high-calibre rifles were being kept.

“The members executed an operation upon receipt of information regarding the mentioned illegal firearms kept in a shack at an informal settlement in Lusaka, Mamelodi. The information was operationalised and the Toms team tactically approached the given shack.

“As they approached the address, the suspects took shots at the members and a shootout ensued. Three suspects were fatally shot and one Toms member was fatally wounded. Several firearms were seized,” said Mbambo.

ALSO READ: Hawks officer and three suspects killed in bloody Mamelodi shootout