KEY POINTS
- One suspect was killed, and five were arrested in a shootout.
- Police recovered firearms and stolen items from the suspects.
- The suspects are believed to have robbed churches around Gauteng.
After a gunfight with police in Westdene, Sophiatown, on Monday, a suspect was shot and died.
Shootout in Sophiatown leads to one death, five arrests.
According to Lt. Col. Mavela Masondo, a spokesman for the Gauteng province police, five further suspects were taken into custody after the gunfight.
“Two of the arrested suspects are in hospital under police guard after sustaining injuries during the shootout,” Masondo stated.
Numerous robberies at churches and other houses of worship are thought to have been committed by the accused. Unlicensed guns and musical instruments that police think were taken from a Florida church were discovered.
Masondo clarified that the police criminal intelligence unit had been notified of the suspects’ involvement in break-ins and armed robberies at places of worship throughout Gauteng. “The information indicated that the group was planning to rob a church in Florida,” he stated.
The individuals were apprehended by a number of law enforcement organizations, including the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), the South African Police Service (SAPS) counterintelligence, and other tactical units.
The offenders’ allegedly used Toyota Quantum was seen in the Sophiatown neighborhood. The car fled when police tried to stop it, which resulted in a fast-paced pursuit.
“During the chase, the suspects began shooting at the officers, sparking a shootout,” Masondo stated. Five suspects were taken into custody after the suspects’ vehicle collided with a fence. One was fatally injured.
Police recover unlicensed firearms and stolen goods from suspects.
According to Iol, three weapons and ammo were found by the police among the suspects. When police searched the Toyota Quantum, they discovered a music system valued at over R2 million that they thought had been taken from the church in Florida. Additionally, the car was seized.
“The suspects will be profiled, and the firearms will undergo ballistic tests to determine whether they were used in other crimes,” Masondo stated.
