Five suspects arrested for murder of five people in Escourt
By Nkululeko Khanyile
Published on 2024-10-29 08:17:18
Johannesburg,South Africa
The police in KwaZulu-Natal has arrested five suspects linked to mass shooting incident at Nyezane village,Amangwe area in Escourt on Sunday,27 October 2024.
Police revealed that according to updated information is that five people were shot and killed whilst the sixth one was shot and injured during the incident.
According to police,on Monday afternoon,police operation led by Crime Intelligence uncovered the suspects' cooling off spot at Acaciaville in Ladysmith.The intelligence was operationalised and five suspects were found hiding inside a room and were arrested.They were found in possession of two AK47 assault rifles with 115 rounds of ammunition,two pistols with 12 rounds of ammunition,one .38 special revolver with one round of ammunition and a vehicle which they used as getaway from the crime scene was also recovered.
Police added that one of the recovered firearms belonged to a man who was killed during the Sunday mass shooting.Investigations also led the police to a house at Ezakheni where another firearm was recovered.The recovered firearms will be taken for ballistic testing to ascertain if they are linked to other crime scenes in and around the province.
These five suspects between ages of 23 and 46 years-old will appear in the Ladysmith Magistrate's Court on Wednesday on charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition,thereafter they will be taken to Escourt to face multiple charges of murder.The 28-year-old suspect who was arrested on Sunday will appear in the Escourt Magistrate's Court on Tuesday,29 October 2024 on charges of murder.
Police pointed out that the arrested suspects are believed to have been involved in several stock theft and murder cases in the area of Amangwe and the surrounding.
Three suspects arrested for illegally marrying South African women with foreign nationals
In a separate incident in KwaZulu-Natal,an intelligence-led operation by Crime Intelligence officers,working together with Metro Police Tactical Support Unit,Sydenham Trio Task Team and Home Affairs Immigration officers has uncovered a clandestine Home Affairs office which was used to facilitate illegal marriages and spousal visas at a block of flats on Mathews Meyiwa Road in Greyville,Durban on Monday afternoon.
Police said the suspects would get hold of identity documents of South African women and marry them to strangers,especially undocumented foreign nationals so that the fake husbands would attain South African citizenship.Preliminary investigations have thus far identified a Home Affairs official who has been working in cahoots with the suspects.More arrests cannot be ruled out as investigations unfold.
Police revealed that several application forms,copies of identity documents and electronic devices were seized.Of the three suspects,two men will be charged with fraud and the woman will face a charge of defeating the ends of justice after she attempted to conceal evidence by tearing some of the documents and threw them inside a bin.The suspects are expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Wednesday,30 October 2024.