Durban — Five murder suspects, including a matric pupil, were arrested in the early hours of Monday morning after a manhunt in an informal settlement in eThekwini.

Marshall Security managing director Tyron Powell said that a thorough investigation into a murder case led members of their special operations team and police officials on a five-hour-long manhunt in a Sea Cow Lake informal settlement in the early hours of Monday morning, where five suspects were arrested.

Powell said that on Friday evening, at approximately 8.20pm, the Marshall Security emergency dispatch centre received alerts through community crime groups of a dead male lying on Gumtree Road in the Sea Cow Lake area, who appeared to have sustained gunshot wounds.

He said that multiple armed response officers and members of their Special Ops Team arrived on the scene within minutes, where a 32-year-old foreign national was found with two gunshot wounds to the head and showed no signs of life. Paramedics arrived on the scene a short while later and declared the victim deceased. Their members cordoned off the crime scene and notified the Greenwood Park SAPS, who arrived on the scene a short while later.

Powell said that the circumstances leading to the shooting were unknown at that stage.

He said that working around the clock, further investigations into the murder put members of their Special Ops Team and the Greenwood Park SAPS Trio Crimes Unit onto the suspects’ trail, which led them to a Sea Cow Lake informal settlement on Monday morning.

An unlicensed firearm and 69 rounds of ammunition was recovered, as well as a vehicle that was taken during a hijacking in Cato Manor on Saturday evening where a female motorist was also shot and killed. Picture: Marshall Security

“A thorough, five-hour operation finally resulted in the arrest of five suspects believed to be involved in the murder,” Powell said.

“Upon questioning, the suspects, all aged between 18 and 19, confessed to the murder of the foreign national on Gumtree Road, where they had shot and robbed him of R350. The suspects also confessed to numerous other robberies across the Sea Cow Lake area.

“An unlicensed firearm and 69 rounds of ammunition were recovered, as well as a vehicle that was taken during a hijacking in Cato Manor on Saturday evening where a female motorist was also shot and killed,” Powell added.

He said that four of the suspects, three men and a woman, would be individually charged for their respective offences ranging from murder, being in possession of an unlicensed firearm, the unlawful possession of ammunition, as well as being in possession of suspected stolen items.

“The fifth suspect was released as further investigation revealed that he had not been involved in the incident,” Powell said.

“One of the suspects is a matric pupil at a local school in the Sea Cow Lake area.”

Powell said that during the operation in the settlement, members spotted an abandoned Tata bakkie. It was established that the vehicle had been stolen from Effingham Road in Effingham last Monday. The vehicle was also successfully recovered and taken to the Greenwood Park SAPS for further investigation and processing.

During the operation in the settlement, members spotted an abandoned Tata bakkie. It was established that the vehicle had been stolen from Effingham Road in Effingham last week Monday. Picture: Marshall Security

Powell also said well done to all members involved for their relentless fight against crime to ensure these criminals were found and put behind bars.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala said that a case of murder is being investigated by Greenwood Park SAPS.

“Police started investigation and three suspects aged between 17 and 19 were placed under arrest and charged with murder. The suspects will appear before the Durban Magistrate’s Court tomorrow (Wednesday).”

Daily News

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