Durban — Newlands East Sector 2 community policing forum chairperson Allan Peterson said that the area where a shoot-out between police and courier van robbery suspects occurred was not regarded as a high-crime area.
Peterson was commenting after police traced the suspects to a house in Newlands East and a shoot-out ensued on Wednesday morning. The distance between the robbery and the crime scene was 149KM, according to Google maps.
Peterson said that what they knew about the incident was that the suspects were involved in a robbery outside their area and through police investigations, they were traced to a property in Newlands East. What they also knew was that the suspects were asked to surrender then a shoot-out between the suspects and the police ensued.
He said they know who was shot and that one suspect was arrested.
Peterson said it was not a crime haven but he thought it was a normal residence that was converted into a hideout.
“A lot of situations that have been taking place lately in Newlands, it’s unforeseen circumstances, it’s not like something we were used to,” Peterson said.
“We do know of speculations about certain areas in our community where there are rumours of either drug-related or turf-type of wars or types of affair or shooting. But generally, in the rest of the Newlands area, we seem to be stuck between a rock and a hard place, involved with unforeseen circumstances,” Peterson said.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said two men were suspected of being involved in an armed robbery of a courier vehicle.
Naicker said police responded to an incident where a courier vehicle was robbed along the N2 freeway in Paddock, near Port Shepstone, in the early hours of Wednesday.
He said the suspects stole electronic devices, among other items.
“Investigations led police to Newlands East where three suspects were found offloading their loot. The suspects ignored police instructions to surrender, opened fire at police and a shoot-out ensued,” Naicker said.
“After the shoot-out, two suspects were found to have sustained fatal gunshot wounds. The third suspect was arrested and two firearms were recovered at the scene.”
Naicker added the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) was called to the scene for further investigations.
Attempts to reach the ward 11 councillor, where the incident occurred, were unsuccessful.
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Daily News