Police officers from the Umlazi Highway Patrol and K9 Unit arrested five suspects for a house robbery in the Wentworth area. The suspects were arrested whilst fleeing from the crime scene.
On 11 December 2019, at 14:30, the victim was inside her house in Buldana Road at Merewent when she was allegedly accosted by five unknown men. The suspects robbed her of household items including her wallet and fled in their getaway vehicle. A case of house robbery was opened at the Wentworth police station for investigation.
Police officers were alerted to the robbery and they searched for the suspects. The suspects were speedily located and arrested on the M4 Highway. The victim’s property was recovered from the suspects’ possession. The vehicle used by the men was also seized after it was discovered that it was hijacked from Merebank.
They will be charged for house robbery and for being in possession of suspected stolen property. The men aged between 20 and 28 will appear in the Wentworth Magistrates Court on 17 December 2019.
In another operation that was conducted by police officers from the Umlazi K9 Unit, four suspects aged between 24 and 38 were arrested for an attempted carjacking on the N2 freeway. On 11 December 2019, at midnight, the men attempted to intercept a truck which was traveling on the N2 Freeway at Amanzimtoti. They pointed a firearm at the driver whilst pursuing the truck and opened fire on the vehicle. The suspects eventually lost control of their vehicle in the process.
Police were immediately alerted and four suspects were arrested. One of the men was found in possession of a firearm with four rounds of ammunition. They were all charged for attempted carjacking whilst a 38-year-old was also charged for being in illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
They appeared in the Amanzimtoti Magistrates Court on 12 December 2019. Initial police investigations revealed that the recovered firearm was stolen from the owner during a house robbery in October this year. The suspects will be profiled to ascertain if they can be linked to other robberies in the province.
“I am pleased with the swift response of our police officers that have been deployed in terms of our Safer Festive Season plan. A large number of criminals have been arrested whilst they were found fleeing from scenes of crime whilst others have been arrested before they can even commit crimes,” said the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khombinkosi Jula.
“This Festive Season we are appealing to our citizens to talk to us if they have information on criminality by contacting Crime Stop on 08600 10111. We also would like to encourage all in this province to download the MySAPS App on their iPhone or Android devices. This App will allow users to provide tip-offs, access the closest police stations, the SAPS Website as well as our social media pages,” he added.
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