The hunt is on for killers of Hawks officer

National police commissioner General Kehla Sitole has activated a 72-hour plan to capture the gunmen who killed Hawks senior investigator Lieutenant Colonel Leroy Bruwer.

Bruwer, 49, was killed on Tuesday morning while travelling to work.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said Bruwer, described as a seasoned investigator, was driving to work at 06.30am when he was ambushed along Lydenburg Road in Mbombela.

Nadioo said Bruwer was shot at by gunmen using heavy calibre weapons, and was shot dead.

“Sitole has in the strongest possible terms, condemned the senseless killing of 49-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Leroy Bruwer this morning.

“Bruwer was a seasoned investigator within the DPCI environment and always excelled in cracking complex cases, particularly related to rhino poaching. The national commissioner has called on a multidisciplinary team to mobilise the 72-hour activation plan and urged the team not to rest until Bruwer’s killers are brought to book,” Naidoo said.

Sitole has also extended condolences to Bruwer’s family and promised a thorough investigation into the officer’s senseless killing.

Police have appealed to anyone with information to contact the nearest police station.

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