Update: 7.30pm
South African Police Service (Saps) provincial spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters has confirmed the arrest of 19 suspects, 10 illegal firearms and four stolen vehicles in Kelvin on 3 March.
Members of the Gauteng Highway Patrol (HP) unit, Johannesburg North Crime Intelligence, the SAPS Airwing, and the Johannesburg Metro Police Department operationalised information of a planned armed robbery where a truck carrying a consignment of cellphones with an estimated value of R60 million was set to be hijacked.
“It is reported that members of the HP were approaching when suspects started firing shots at them, to which the team retaliated and returned fire,” said Peters.
Fourteen suspects were arrested while an unconfirmed number of suspects escaped by jumping the walls.
“Other members who were strategically positioned outside the house gave chase and five more suspects were cornered and arrested at five different scenes in close proximity to the initial crime scene.”
A security guard as well as one of the suspects were fatally shot.
“It was discovered during the on-site investigation that one suspect had snatched a seven-month old baby to possibly use the child as a shield during the shootout. The child has since been found,” added Peters.
Three R-5 assault rifles, two AK-47 assault rifles, one 303 assault rifle, and four pistols were recovered from the six scenes.
Four of the eight vehicles seized were positively confirmed as either hijacked or stolen while a jamming device was also seized from the suspects.
Gauteng Commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela has commended the success by the multi-disciplinary team, highlighting particularly the role played by the Gauteng Highway Patrol Unit members.
Original story:
A shooting incident has reportedly occurred in Kelvin, Sandton this morning (3 March).
Residents took to social media to find out more information after hearing what was alleged to be gun shots in the area around North Way.
More than 5 arrested pic.twitter.com/UPKpVeW94p
— Rodney (@Rodneykutch) March 3, 2021
Crime Air Network suggests that it was an alleged incident of armed robbery but nothing has been confirmed yet.
ARMED ROBBERY : NORTHWAY. KELVIN. COJ. GP. SHOOTING. CHOPPERS IN AIR. PERPS IN GETAWAY GREY 3 SERIES BMW. @SAPoliceService @TrafficRTMC @_ArriveAlive @GTP_Traffstats @JoburgMPD @TMPDSafety @cci_network
— REZA (@crimeairnetwork) March 3, 2021
The South African Police Service has been contacted for official comment.
