Breaking News: Four Perpetrators Successfully Rob KZN Police During Stop and Search

Two police officers from SAPS Umbumbulu, located southwest of Durban within the eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, were overpowered and robbed of their firearms and police vehicle by four men during a stop and search on Friday.

KZN provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker stated that the two officers were on patrol at 11 am when they stopped a vehicle with four occupants. While searching the men, the officers were attacked and overpowered.

“The suspects robbed the officers of their firearms and the keys to the police vehicle,” Naicker said, adding that the suspects then fled in both their own vehicle and the SAPS vehicle.

Members of Magma Security spotted the SAPS vehicle speeding behind the suspects’ vehicle near the robbery site. Magma Security and Investigation owner Shaheen Suleiman reported that the security officers pursued the police vehicle, unaware it had been hijacked.

“The suspects’ vehicle and the SAPS vehicle stopped. Magma Security approached the police vehicle and noticed the driver was in civilian clothing. Both vehicles sped off, leaving one suspect behind, who opened fire on the Magma Security member, wounding him,” Suleiman said.

Suleiman noted that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) Provincial Tracking Team quickly mobilized and conducted extensive searches in the Eston area’s sugar cane fields.

“When members approached the suspect, he opened fire. They returned fire, fatally wounding the suspect,” Suleiman added. A state-issued firearm stolen during the robbery was recovered from the suspect.

Naicker confirmed that all police officers and other law enforcement were immediately notified of the robbery. The suspects were spotted near the robbery location, prompting a chase during which the suspects lost control of the police vehicle, causing it to overturn.

The suspects abandoned the police vehicle and fled in their own. “All available resources have been mobilized to hunt down the suspects and bring them to justice. Police in Umbumbulu have registered a case of armed robbery,” Naicker said.