By Jacobs Botha, Johannesburg
Three suspects, wanted for a string of extortion and murder cases in the eThekwini district, were shot and fatally wounded in two separate incidents of shootouts with police in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday afternoon and the early hours of Thursday.
On Wednesday afternoon, police followed up information regarding the whereabouts of a suspect, who was wanted for at least four cases of extortion and another four counts of murder, which he allegedly committed in the KwaNdengezi and Mariannhill areas.
When police arrived at a house at Gilebe in Inanda, the suspect fired shots at the police and during the shootout, the suspect was shot and fatally wounded. He was found in possession of a 7.65 pistol with four rounds of ammunition.
In another incident Thursday, police operationalised intelligence which uncovered the hideout spot of two suspects, who were also wanted for extortion and murder cases.
The suspects were cornered at Edabe informal settlement in Tshelimnyama, Mariannhill, and the suspects shot at the police from inside the house.
In self-defence, police returned fire and during the shootout, the two suspects were shot and fatally wounded. They were found in possession of two firearms.
All recovered firearms will be taken for ballistic testing to ascertain if they are linked to other crime scenes.
The three deceased suspects had linkages to the six suspects, who were shot and fatally wounded in a shootout with police at a holiday accommodation in South Beach, Durban, in the beginning of September 2024.
