Andile Gambushe (29), Sihle Msimango (24), Mulungisi Cele (27) and Bonginkosi Mbathe (27), appeared in the Umlazi Magistrates Court on 16 October 2017, for possession of suspects stolen property and for possession of unlicensed firearm.
They were remanded in custody until 25 October 2017 for bail application.
On Friday the 13 October 2017 at approximately 18:00, members from Ethekwini Outer South Cluster OCC members followed up information of a hijacked vehicle, a white Toyota Hilux with a personalized registration. The vehicle was heading in the direction of Umlazi and the members decided proactively to set themselves up and waited to see if the vehicle would enter Umlazi passing the Mega City robots.
Their intuition paid off and within minutes the vehicle drove pass Mega City robots and the SAPS members immediately responded and managed to stop the hijacked Hilux. The police ordered all four occupants to climb out of the vehicle and to lie down. On searching each of them they discovered one suspect was in possession illegal firearm and ammunition.
They also searched the vehicle and found three cell phones and two pairs of reading glasses. All four suspects were arrested for possession of carjacking and one of the suspect was also detained for possession of unlicensed firearm.
The recovered vehicle was hijacked in Newlands East on 13 October 2017, where a 64 year old man was at supermarket parking lot when he was accosted by three armed men who demanded his car keys. One suspect attempted to stab the victim but he managed to fight him. They overpowered the victim and drove off in his vehicle.
Andile Gambushe was wanted for nine Harding cases ranging from escaping, seven business robbery, possession of stolen property and attempted murder. The suspects will appear in the Harding and Ntuzuma Magistrates Court soon.
The KwaZulu-Natal Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Bheki Langa commended the members for the arrest and the recovery of firearm and vehicle. “This was quick thinking and proactive policing by my members. Excellent arrests were made, where an unlicensed firearm was removed from the streets and a hijacked vehicle recovered. We are committed in seeing criminals removed from the community,” he said.
South Africa Today – South Africa News
