Two suspected criminals who were killed in a shoot out with police in Umlazi on Monday morning are linked to various crimes in Inanda, north of Durban.

KwaZulu-Natal provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the two suspects were wanted for various violent crimes in Inanda and surrounding areas.

“Police gathered intelligence regarding the whereabouts of the suspects and when police pounced on them at an informal settlement on Silwane Khoza Road at D Section in Umlazi, the suspects fired shots towards police officers,” said Netshiunda. 

He said police returned fire, and during the resultant shootout, two suspects were shot and fatally wounded. Two firearms were found in possession of the suspects.

“The recovered firearms will be subjected to ballistic testing to ascertain if they are linked to other crimes in the province,” Netshiunda said.

At the scene police found five rounds of live ammunition and three spent cartridges.

According to neighbours, the men had a party overnight into Monday morning when the police’s National Intervention Unit confronted them. 

Another neighbour claimed a crime intelligence officer had befriended the suspects the previous night and spent time with them. 

“We were woken up by the sound of heavy gunfire and when we went out to check, police shouted at us to return to our rooms. We later discovered that police were in a shootout with the two men. After the shooting, we recognised a police officer that we saw last night with these two men,” said the neighbour.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za

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