uMhlanga shootout suspects denied bail
The suspects have also been linked to a number of car theft cases in the Durban area.
TWO of the suspects who were arrested after a shootout in uMhlanga Ridge last week have been denied bail. The duo, aged 32 and 33, have also been linked to other vehicle theft cases in the Durban area. They have been remanded into custody and are currently being held at Westville prison.
The criminals, who were involved in a high-speed chase on Umhlanga Rocks Drive, mistook a road under construction for a shortcut and crashed their vehicle on Kikembe Drive. One of the suspects (35), who was shot several times, was pronounced dead on scene.
The guns used by the suspects – 9mm pistols – have still not been recovered and police are still searching for a fourth suspect who managed to get away. Lt Raymond Deokaran, spokesman for the Durban North SAPS, confirmed the suspects were found with a number of Allen keys and live ammunition rounds for the pistols.
What is more, the white BMW 1 series used by the suspects had been fitted with cloned number plates.
“We have linked the suspects to four other cases in the Durban area and we opposed bail because of their involvement in other cases. They will appear in court later this week on charges of attempted murder. The suspects use Allen keys, which are customised by having one end sharpened to a point and flattened, and used to either unlock the car or start it.
“When we traced the number plates, we spoke to the owner of the legally-registered number plates, who said his car had never been stolen. Further interrogation revealed the men had in fact cloned the number plates and stuck them on the car using double-sided tape,” he said.
