As Manhunt Follows KwaZulu-Natal Shootout
CCN Editor/Reporter – George April
SOUTH AFRICA: Police operations targeting illegal firearms, drugs and organised crime have resulted in arrests and major seizures in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, while a manhunt is under way for suspects who allegedly opened fire on police officers in Durban.
The latest operations underline the continued focus by law-enforcement agencies on removing illegal firearms and drugs from communities and disrupting organised criminal activity.
340 Mandrax tablets seized in Eerste River
Members of the Anti-Economic Crime Task Team, working with the Provincial Counterfeit and Illicit Goods Policing Team, seized 340 Mandrax tablets during an intelligence-driven operation in Kleinvlei, Eerste River, in the early hours of Tuesday, 25 August.
The teams searched a house in Spandau Road, where they found a 38-year-old man. A total of 340 Mandrax tablets, with an estimated street value of R20 000, were confiscated. The suspect was arrested for possession of drugs and is expected to appear before the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court once he has been formally charged.
Firearm without serial number recovered in Manenberg
Meanwhile, members of the Anti-Gang Unit arrested a 43-year-old man in Manenberg for possession of a prohibited firearm.
The unit was deployed to the area amid ongoing gang violence when members received information about a firearm allegedly being kept at a house in Rhone Walk. Police searched the premises and recovered a firearm without a serial number.
The suspect is expected to make his first court appearance before the Athlone Magistrate’s Court once he has been charged.
Durban police come under heavy gunfire
In KwaZulu-Natal, police have launched a manhunt following a dramatic incident in which officers came under heavy gunfire after arresting two men suspected of possessing an illegal firearm and ammunition.
The incident happened on Monday night, 24 August, when members of Cato Manor police were conducting routine crime-prevention and stop-and-search operations. Police spotted a silver Toyota Etios parked at Bonela Sports Field along Raymond Road. Two occupants were found inside the vehicle.
A search resulted in the recovery of an AK-47 assault rifle and four fully loaded magazines, leading to the arrest of both men. While transporting the suspects to a police station along Dunbar Road, officers noticed that they were being followed by a white Toyota double cab and a white Toyota Corolla Cross.
According to police, the two arrested men warned officers that the occupants of the following vehicles were allegedly planning to shoot at them. They further told police that they had been waiting for the same vehicles to deliver another AK-47 allegedly intended for a cash-in-transit robbery planned for Tuesday, 25 August.
Police sped away, but the occupants of the two vehicles allegedly opened fire. With several members of the public in the area, police refrained from returning fire to prevent innocent people from being caught in the crossfire.
Officers instead drove tactically until they reached the safety of a police station. The two arrested suspects sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to hospital, where they remain under police guard while recovering.
Police have launched a manhunt for the suspects involved in the shooting.
Public urged to assist police
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the wanted suspects is urged to report it to the nearest police station.
Anonymous tip-offs can also be provided to Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or through the MySAPS App.
From the Western Cape to KwaZulu-Natal, the latest operations demonstrate the continued challenge posed by illegal firearms, drugs and organised criminal networks – and the importance of intelligence-driven policing and community cooperation in disrupting these activities.
CCN Online / West Coast & Beyond
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