A cash-carrying vehicle came under a barrage of gunfire on Tuesday night when heavily armed suspects attempted to carry out a heist.
The incident, which left locals shaken and an officer dead, took place on the N2 at eMfekayi, north of Mtubatuba during load-shedding from 7pm to 9pm.
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Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Simphiwe Mhlongo said the heist was carried out by heavily armed suspects who shot at the vehicle until it came to a halt.
A shoot-out ensued between the suspects and law enforcement, resulting in the death of a Hawks member.
Mhlongo said the cause death of the 59-year-old was still to be determined as there were ‘no visible gunshot wounds’ on his body.
However, it is suspected the victim attempted to take cover behind guard rails when he fell down a roadside embankment.
“A post-mortem will be done to determine the cause of death,” said Mhlongo.
He said the suspects fled the scene in their own vehicles, and that he would provide a more detailed report on the heist in due course.
“No arrests have been made at this stage,” said Mhlongo.
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