Four suspects killed, 23 arrested in foiled Gauteng truck heist

Police foiled a truck heist in Midrand, Gauteng, recovered firearms, cars and netted several suspects on Friday.

Four suspects died in a shoot-out with police and 23 others were apprehended — four of whom were injured.

National police spokesperson Brig Vishnu Naidoo said: “During an intelligence-driven operation, a multidisciplinary team comprising members from SAPS crime intelligence, the Johannesburg flying squad, Gauteng highway patrol, EMPD specialised task team and JMPD K9 swooped on suspects allegedly planning to hijack a truck between Pretoria and Johannesburg.”

“As the team entered the  premises in President Park, Midrand, they were met with gunfire from some of the suspects armed with rifles and handguns.

“There were 27 suspects on the premises. Four suspects were shot and killed while four others were wounded. A total of 23 suspects, including the four wounded suspects, are under arrest.”

Naidoo said the “team seized three rifles including an AK-47 rifle, a  Dashbrown rifle, a R5 rifle as well as two pistols at the scene. The team further confiscated 15 vehicles at the scene of which four were either hijacked or stolen in the areas of Garsfontein, Silverton, Wierdebrug and Olifantsfontein.”

He said the wounded suspects were taken to hospital under police guard.  The other 19 suspects have been detained on charges of attempted murder, conspiring to commit armed robbery, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition and possession of vehicles suspected to be stolen.

National police commissioner Gen Khehla Sitole welcomed the arrests.

“The work done by this multidisciplinary integrated team today is a very significant contribution to our efforts to curb organised crime in the country”, said Sitole.

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