Two alleged minibus hijackers have been arrested after they crashed through a boom gate at the Mooi River toll plaza, in KwaZulu-Natal, during a high-speed shootout with the police as they attempted to flee.
Lieutenant Colonel Nqobile Gwala said on Sunday just before 11:30 am, police from the Pietermaritzburg K9 Unit were following up on minibus taxi which was allegedly hijacked at Meyi location, in Ibisi, and while en route to Mooi River on the N3.
“Police attempted to intercept the taxi, but the suspects sped off whilst shooting at police officers. The suspects drove through the boom gate at the Mooi Toll Plaza and sped off,” Gwala said.
She said at Riversdale, in Mooi River, three suspects alighted from their vehicle and opened fire on the police as they tried to escape. “The suspect’s vehicle crashed into a wall of a home, and police arrested two suspects aged 22 and 23. One of the suspects sustained a gunshot wound to the thigh,” she said.
Police managed to recover weapons inside the minibus. “Inside the taxi, police found a pistol with two rounds of ammunition and a gas gun. It was confirmed that the taxi was hijacked in the Ibisi policing area,” Gwala said.
“One of the suspects appeared yesterday and the other will appear before the Mooi River Magistrate’s Court on charges of attempted murder, possession of stolen vehicle as well as unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition,” Gwala added.
Source: IOL, The Witness, image from IOL