Several suspects, including a former police officer, were arrested in KwaZulu-Natal in connection with farm attacks, armed robberies, hijackings and murder during a multi-disciplinary operation.

The arrests follow a farm attack in the Louwsburg area last week Tuesday.

The owner and an employee were on the farm when four men attacked him. The owner was busy loading logs onto a truck when he was shot.

He returned fire and the suspects ran away. Fortunately, he only sustained minor injuries.

Several suspects, believed to have been involved in the incident, were arrested the following day.

The group of suspects are also alleged to be involved in several cases of murder, armed robberies, business burglaries and car hijackings in Vryheid, Paulpietersburg, Hlobane, Louwsburg and Ngome.

Four more men, who were allegedly the ‘master minds’ and are linked to cases of farm attacks and robberies were arrested by the task team in Hlobane, Mshwathi, Mzwezwe and Coronation.

Another arrest was made in the Emadoshini area, where a suspect was linked to both armed robbery and farm attack cases in Paulpietersburg and Louwsburg.

During the operation, the task team recovered a 9mm firearm, 9mm metal magazine and 42 live rounds of 9mm ammunition.

The licensed firearm that was recovered will be sent for ballistic testing.

One of the arrested suspects is allegedly a former Richards Bay police officer who was dismissed. It is said that he is also wanted by Interpol in the United Kingdom for fraud.