Durban — Police in Durban shot and killed six suspects linked to multiple murders and extortion cases in the province during a shootout in South Beach around midnight on Monday, September 2.
The suspects were being tracked for shooting five people, killing four, in Tshelimnyama, Mariannhill on Sunday night.
According to police statement, the suspects approached victims drinking by the roadside and shot them in the back of their heads with pistols and a rifle.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said initial intel placed the suspects in Newlands East, but they were later found in a rented apartment on South Beach Avenue.
“When police announced their presence at the apartment, the suspects opened fire and a shootout ensued. All six suspects were shot and fatally wounded during the shootout. No police officer sustained any injuries,” Netshiunda said.
JUST IN: Six extortion & murder suspects have been killed in a shootout with police in South Beach, Durban in KZN just before midnight on Monday #Durban #Shootout #KZN #Police #DurbanShootout Videos: Saps @TheCitizen_News pic.twitter.com/9nP02NcfB7
— 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕 ⚡️ (@FaizelPatel143) September 3, 2024
He said the suspects were also linked to the murder of three men who were shot and killed in Mpumalanga, as well as a robbery, on Friday night.
The suspects were alleged to be involved in an illicit drug trade.
Netshiunda said the police found three firearms, which will go through ballistic testing to see if they were linked to any prior crimes. Police will also search for the person who booked the room for the dead suspects.
In a video shared on X, KZN Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, praised the police effective response in apprehending the suspects following the two previous incidents.
“The team started making follow-ups on Sunday evening. The investigation led them to another township, which was far away. When they arrived there, they did not find the suspects they were looking for, until the information brought them here, to one of these apartments,” Mkhwanazi said.
Extortion continues to wreak havoc in South Africa and this incident follows another one which occurred in Cape Town last week, when police shot and killed four suspects, injuring another four, who were allegedly linked to other extortion cases.
KZN Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi speaking outside the apartment building where six suspects wanted for several murders and extortion cases were killed during a shootout with police in South Beach in KZN. @SAPoliceService #Durban #KZNPolice pic.twitter.com/kZu6uNJEBC
— The Witness (@WitnessKZN) September 3, 2024
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
