Four men from a hostel in Soweto were shot dead during a police operation on Tuesday morning, 5 August on the West Rand in Gauteng.
Police said the suspects were on their way to rob a businessman who was going to deposit money at the bank.
Gauteng police deputy commissioner General Fred Kekana said Crime Intelligence teams from the Eastern Cape and Gauteng worked together to track the suspects.
Four suspected robbers from Soweto were shot dead by Gauteng police during a planned operation on Tuesday. Photo by Nhlanhla Khomola.
“This morning, our Crime Intelligence linked the suspects to a planned robbery. We quickly called in our Tactical Response Team, Amaberete, the Gauteng Anti-Gang Unit and Fidelity Security,” said Kekana.
He said the suspects’ car had false number plates, but police found the real plates inside. When officers tried to stop the car and search it, the men opened fire.
“They started shooting at the police, and the police had no choice but to defend themselves. At the end, the last men and women standing were the police.”
“Four of the suspects are lying dead today. Good. Less crime, less problems for the country,” he said.
Police found three guns – a rifle and two pistols – and are still searching for more weapons or drugs with the help of forensic teams.
Kekana said the suspects clearly planned the robbery carefully and thought they wouldn’t be caught. But what surprised the officers was what they found inside the car.
“The car was full of muthi, and on the petrol cap there was a sticker that said: ‘Prayer is key’. I don’t know which one they trusted more, the prayer or the muthi, but it worked for us, because we got them before they could commit the crime.”
He added that the men may be linked to other crimes, and investigations will continue.
“This was a well-planned police operation. Thanks to the information we received and followed up, we were able to stop the crime before it happened.”
“We ask the community to keep reporting suspicious activities. These are the results,” Kekana added.
