Cop arrested in taxi shooting
Within minutes, the police officers had located and pulled over the suspects' vehicle in the Dukuza area
A quick response by both the public and the SAPS has led to the arrest of three suspects, including one of their own, involved in a double murder and attempted murder case.
Early this morning, three people were seated in a bakkie at the Dukuza T-junction in the Upper Tugela area. Three gunmen drove up in a Toyota Corolla and opened fire on the occupants of the bakkie. Two of the men were shot and killed, while a woman sustained serious injuries.
Members of the community immediately reported the incident to police. Upper Tugela SAPS and Upper Tugela Borderline Control responded to the complaint.
Within minutes, the officers had located and pulled over the suspects’ vehicle in the Dukuza area.
Three suspects, aged between 23 and 27, were immediately arrested. The vehicle used in the crime and three firearms, as well as ammunition, were seized. The firearms consisted of an R5 rifle and two 9mm pistols. The serial numbers on all three firearms had been filed off.
One of the suspects is believed to be a policeman based in the Gauteng province. The deceased are alleged to be taxi owners, but they have not yet been officially identified.
The three suspects face charges of murder and attempted murder, as well as possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. The suspects are set to appear in the Bergville Magistrate’s Court later this week.
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni, applauded police for swiftly responding to the shooting, which led to the arrests and seizure of firearms.
“We commend the community for assisting in the apprehension of the criminals. This is a demonstration of the success of community policing, which is a partnership between police and the community to curb crime. We will profile these suspects to determine if they can be linked to other crimes. The seized firearms will be subjected to ballistic tests to establish if they were used in the commission of these murders and other crimes in the country,” she said.
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