Local Gangsters among four dead

MBOMBELA – But in Mbombela, where they lived, they were better known as generous, friendly, church-going men.

Louis Harnols and Ntokoza Mokoena (aka Shoes) were two of the four victims of the shootout that took place near Benoni’s Luthuli informal settlement on Friday morning.

According to national police spokesman, Brig Vishnu Naidoo, members of the SAPS in Gauteng came under fire from gunmen while conducting routine patrols on the N12.

“A suspicious silver Mercedes-Benz was spotted by members on patrol in peak-hour traffic at the Putfontein off-ramp. This vehicle had been reported as hijacked in the Yeoville area in April,” he said.
Johannesburg Flying Squad members ordered the driver to stop. The occupants opened fire on police, who returned fire.

“One of the police members sustained injuries when he was shot in the leg by the suspects,” Naidoo said.
The four occupants of the Mercedez-Benz were shot dead.

Police recovered three rifles and ammunition. Explosives were found in the boot of the Mercedes-Benz.
An informant who is well placed in Mbombela’s crime network, said Harnols and Mokoena had been under investigation for the past three years as key members of the city’s robbery gangs.

Sources in the crime underworld placed both men in a recent robbery at Emoyeni Mall in KaNyamazane.
According to intelligence sources, Mbombela is generally regarded by the organised-crime underworld as a safe haven from where CIT heists, armed robberies and ATM bombings in Mpumalanga and Gauteng are planned.

Mokoena was being monitored as a kingpin in local crime syndicates since 2014.
Law-enforcement agencies had also been notified about him being a “person of interest” in organised-crime circles.

The city’s close proximity to Mozambique and Swaziland offers quick escape routes for criminal kingpins.

Furthermore the N4 provides for excellent opportunities for quick “hit-and-run” crime sprees to Gauteng.

On Friday the “highwaymen’s” rob-and-go plans did not work out the way they had wanted.
Harnols was a resident of Nelsville and was known by his neighbours and friends as a friendly and respectable man.

A resident said that his youngest daughter was supposed to have a lavish birthday party on Saturday.
“It is sad for their families, especially the children, as they have lost their father and their financial lives

will take a drastic turn. They are the ones who will suffer now.”
Harnols’ *wife lives in White River and he had a girlfriend who lived with him.
“He supported both women financially.

He even bought his girlfriend a VW Polo.” He was also known for supporting his mother and bought her a house. He had membership at two local gyms.
“If you did not know what he did in his life, you would never guess. He was not scary at all and friendly and generous to all. The source added that the neighbourhood knew he was a criminal.

“He had the best of everything. He drove a new BMW M3 and always had the best clothes and really lived the high life.”

Mokoena lived in Hillside Manor and was known to own properties all over the city.  A close friend of his family said Mokoena did not tell anyone he was involved in crime.  “He told everyone that he had a lot of government tenders. He was extremely generous to everyone around him.” Mokoena’s girlfriend did not live with him.

“When they went out he would always pay the bill for everyone. He even picked up a tab for alcohol the one night to the value of R16 000.  “His girlfriend is still in shock and is traumatised as she never knew about his involvement in crime. Last week he bought her a bunch of roses and he would always attend church.”

One of his neighbours confirmed that Mokoena had admitted to him that he had been involved in CIT heists, but not around Mpumalanga and only in the Gauteng area.  “We knew he was on his way to do a heist there when they shot him,” said the neighbour.

Mpumalanga police spokesman, Brig Leonard Hlati said they were still investigating the background of the two men.

• Lowvelder previously reported that the wife was estranged from her husband. Samantha Harnols was not estranged from her husband as previously reported.