Durban – Two alleged car smugglers were shot dead by police while inside an allegedly hijacked vehicle in Ndumo, near the Mozambican border in northern KwaZulu-Natal, on Tuesday.
Police officers deployed at the border spotted the suspicious white Toyota double cab 4×4 at about 03:15 on Tuesday morning, KwaZulu-Natal police said.
The officers asked the suspects to stop but they attempted to drive into the police vehicle and pointed a firearm at the police, said Colonel Thembeka Mbhele.
“Police fired shots at the suspects and a chase ensued. The suspect’s vehicle lost control and overturned,” she said.
Two suspects believed to be in their thirties died at the scene, said Mbhele.
It was established that the vehicle was hijacked in Mpumalanga on Monday.
“The complainant’s property was also found [on] the deceased suspects,” Mbhele said.
Police have opened an inquest docket and are investigating charges of possession of suspected stolen property and pointing of a firearm, added Mbhele.
There have been increasing reports about hijacking syndicates that smuggle cars through the border between northern KwaZulu-Natal and Mozambique.
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