Two suspected armed robbers were fatally shot during a fierce gun battle with police in the early hours of Tuesday morning, just hours after they allegedly took part in a brazen cash in transit heist, authorities said.
The confrontation occurred shortly after midnight in the Edendale area, near Pietermaritzburg, when a tactical police team moved in on a house where the suspects were believed to be hiding.
The incident began on Monday afternoon when a gang of at least twelve assailants ambushed a cash delivery truck at the busy intersection of Jabu Ngcobo and Fairview roads in Verulam, a town north of Durban. According to Colonel Robert Netshiunda, the spokesperson for the South African Police Service in KwaZulu Natal province, the suspects forced the armored vehicle to a halt and disarmed the security guards, stealing three firearms before fleeing with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Following the heist, police gathered intelligence leading them to the hideout in Edendale. “The intelligence was put into operation and when police arrived at the house in which the suspects were hiding, a shootout ensued between police and the suspects,” Colonel Netshiunda said in a statement.
When the exchange of gunfire ceased, two suspects lay fatally wounded. A third managed to evade capture, escaping amidst the chaos, according to police. No officers were injured in the operation.
At the scene, law enforcement recovered a small arsenal consisting of three firearms, two rifles and a handgun along with several rounds of ammunition. Investigators also seized a VW Polo believed to have been used in the commission of the Verulam robbery. In a garage on the property, officers discovered a bakkie containing multiple, different number plates, suggesting the gang’s involvement in a broader pattern of criminal activity.
A manhunt is currently underway for the remaining suspects involved in the heist and the one who fled the Edendale shootout. The investigation continues.