Photo for illustration. (Archive photo)
Five suspects were shot dead by the police in the Eastern Cape during two separate incidents within 24 hours.
Brig. Police spokesperson Nobuntu Gantana says members of the tactical response team were called at 15:20 on Saturday after two suspects in a gray Toyota Verso allegedly extorted people.
The suspects’ vehicle is allegedly connected to a recent incident where a Chinese citizen was kidnapped and the alleged blackmailers apparently used this very car to blackmail others.
According to Gantana, the vehicle was stopped along the R61, near the farm Hafton.
A suspect who was apparently sitting in the back of the car allegedly fired shots at the tactical response team.
Gantana says the tactical response team acted in self-defense and opened fire on the suspects.
(Photo: SAPS)
Two suspects were pronounced dead at the scene and one of the deceased has already been identified. The second suspect has not yet been identified.
The case has been transferred to the Independent Police Investigation Directorate (Opod) for further investigation.
In a separate incident, the police shot dead three suspects in Tlokoeng on Sunday after a shooting broke out.
Gantana says the police in Tlokoeng received a complaint about a shooting incident in this area on Sunday around 14:30.
Once there, the police’s National Intervention Unit (NIU) was already on the scene.
“Three deceased, all three men, and three vehicles, which are believed to be connected to the suspects, were found at the scene. The preliminary investigation indicates that the NIU members were on duty in Tlokoeng and followed up on information. The police allegedly spotted the suspects in a vehicle and chased them.”
When the NIU members apparently approached, the suspects opened fire on them, which led to a shootout.
The suspects were pronounced dead at the scene.
“Firearms that the suspects are believed to have used during the incident have been confiscated and will be subjected to forensic analysis. The case has been transferred to Opod for further investigation,” says Gantana.