Six men, wanted for multiple murders and extortion, were killed in a dramatic shoot-out with police in Durban’s South Beach area late on Monday night.
The incident occurred just before midnight following a police attempt to arrest the suspects at their hideout.
The suspects were linked to a gruesome execution-style killing in Tshelimnyama, Mariannhill, on Sunday night, where four men were shot in the back of the head after being forced to lie down.
“The suspects were traced to a hideout in Newlands East,” said Colonel Robert Netshiunda of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in KwaZulu-Natal.
However, further intelligence led police to a rented holiday apartment on South Beach Avenue in the Point area of Durban.
When the police arrived at the apartment and announced their presence, the suspects immediately opened fire.
“A shootout ensued, and all six suspects were shot and fatally wounded, ” said Colonel Netshiunda.
Remarkably, no police officers were injured during the exchange of gunfire. The men were also implicated in a triple murder that occurred last Friday in Mpumalanga township, Hammersdale, where three men were gunned down near a tuckshop.
In addition, the suspects were believed to be involved in a robbery at a shop on the ground floor of the same building where they were hiding.
During the operation, police recovered three firearms from the suspects, which will undergo ballistic testing to determine if they were used in other crimes.
Colonel Netshiunda added that the SAPS is “hot on the heels” of the individual who booked the apartment for the suspects. Authorities are continuing to investigate the full extent of the suspects’ criminal activities, including potential links to the illicit drug trade.
