File
Six suspects were arrested following a dramatic shootout on the N2 highway in Johannesburg which brought traffic to a standstill on Monday afternoon.
Five of the suspects were wounded, while the sixth was arrested while hiding inside a manhole in the CBD.
Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale, said the operation led by the Hawks’ Tactical Operational Management Section also resulted in the recovery of an AK 47 rifle, two pistols, ammunition, as well as two hijacked vehicles.
She said the Hawks team was assisted by the Ekurhuleni District Tactical team, Crime Intelligence, Tracker Connect, GTP Saturation Unit, and security officers from a private security company.
Mogale said they were acting on a tip-off about a planned robbery by a gang suspected of being behind armed robberies in the Johannesburg area.
“The suspects were spotted on the M2 highway and the team attempted to stop the suspects. A shootout ensued and the suspects’ vehicle crashed into other vehicles as they tried to flee,” she said.
She said three suspects were immediately arrested, the fourth suspect was arrested while attempting to escape by hijacking a Toyota bakkie, while the fifth suspect was found hiding in nearby bushes.
“Information was followed on the sixth suspect who was arrested in a manhole in the CBD,” Mogale said.
Five of the suspects were wounded in the shootout and are under police guard in hospital.
They will appear in court soon on charges of attempted murder, hijacking, the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, as well as being in the possession of stolen vehicles.
