Two ‘on- the- run’ wanted criminals chose the ‘wrong’ destination to flee to after they were captured by Newcastle law enforcement this past weekend.
Imran Ghafoor of the Newcastle Crime Fighters Task Team said the two suspects were involved in an armed robbery at a liquor store in Vosloorus, Gauteng, on July 21.
Gauteng police quickly responded to the store’s distressed calls for help; however, the situation took a turn for the worse following a shootout between police and the suspects that left an officer fatally wounded.
It was believed that around ten suspects were involved in the robbery, all of whom managed to evade arrest. The police later managed to determine the suspects’ whereabouts but this resulted in another shootout which left lone suspects dead. Two others were arrested.
Newcastle law enforcement then received a tip-off informing them that two of the suspects were hiding out in the Amajuba District, prompting an intelligence-driven operation on Saturday, August 19.
One suspect was caught and arrested in Utrecht, while the second suspect was apprehended in Osizweni.
Police also recovered a 9mm Norinco Star firearm, eight live rounds of ammunition, one magazine, and two spent 9mm cartridges.
“The suspects were charged with the possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition and they were successfully linked to the Vosloorus case and will be handed over to the Gauteng Hawks for further investigation.”
Ghafoor thanked the following agencies for their dedication and hard work: Newcastle K9 Unit, Newcastle POP, Utrecht SAPS, Off-duty officer, Warrant Officer Singh of Madadeni CSC, Newcastle Crime Fighters Task Team, Optimus Protection Services and the Anti-Hijacking Unit.
“We also thank all the members who went that extra mile to help with this arrest. We can proudly say that Amajuba District is a ‘No Go’ zone when it comes to crime!” Ghafoor concluded.
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