Four armed robbery suspects were killed in an intense shootout with members of our Special Operations Team following a high speed chase on the N2 south bound earlier today.
Our Special Operation Team members were alerted to a white Mercedes Benz with six armed and dangerous suspects that were involved in a shooting incident with a security company, Urban Defence, in the Morningside area just before midday.
Our members then spotted the wanted vehicle driving on the N2 southbound and they immediately pursued. When the suspects noticed our team members they opened fire and a high speed chase proceeded on the N2 south. During the chase the suspects were relentless in making their escape and continued to shoot at our members.
As the suspects approached the Higginson Highway offramp, they lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a truck. They immediately exited the vehicle and again opened fire on our Special Operation Team Members. Our members returned fire, during which three suspects were shot dead and one was wounded. Two suspects fled the scene on foot, and one of them was later found deceased on the N2 north bound after the M1 offramp after succumbing to his injuries. The other suspect still remains at large after fleeing into a dense bush. The SAPS K9 unit arrived on scene to search for the remaining suspect but was unsuccessful.
Three unlicensed firearms were found on the scene and the suspects’ vehicle was identified as having been hijacked in the Pinetown area in December 2021. A jamming device, used to block tracking devices, was also found in the vehicle.
The SAPS attended the scene for further investigation and processing.
