FILE PHOTO
Eastern Cape police are on the hunt for about 20 suspects who shot and killed a police constable and left other police officials injured during a business robbery.
Lieutenant Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said the incident took place in the early hours of Monday morning, at a filling station in Mbizana’s central business district.
It is alleged that the 35-year-old deceased constable and other police officials were driving from a crime scene in three different police vehicles.
Reports suggests that the officers were from a crime scene at Ezityatyaneni Locality outside Mbizana when they were ambushed by about 20 suspects next to the filling station.
Further reports allege that the suspects fired shots at the police, ambushed them and robbed them of their firearms, before attempting to explode the safe inside the petrol station with no success.
All suspects are said to have fled the scene.
Mawisa said cases of murder, attempted murders and business robbery have been opened for investigation, with detectives from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) investigating the case.
The Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene assured that anyone disturbing peace and killing police would be arrested and prosecuted.
"The killing of the police official while serving the members of the community undermines the efforts by the state to combat and prevent crime," she added.
The identity of the deceased constable will be released once his next of kin has been informed.
