Police Minister Bheki Cele, has commended the South African Police Service (SAPS) for a recent operation that led to the arrest of wanted dangerous suspects in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday.

In a statement, the Ministry of Police said the suspects were arrests by police in KwaZulu-Natal. This as the police tighten the noose on criminals terrorising communities in Pietermaritzburg.

“Acting on information of the whereabouts of the gang, the SAPS team traced the suspects to a lodge situated on Woodhouse Road not far from where seven suspects were fatally wounded last week,” said the Ministry in a statement.

Four suspects aged between 18 and 30 were arrested, each found in possession of illegal pistols with rounds of ammunition.

The Ministry said the suspects are linked to a string of murder cases that were committed in the Pietermaritzburg, Imbali, Richmond, and Bergville areas as well as cases of robbery, rape and assault with the purpose to inflict grievous bodily harm.

The arrests come five days after seven suspects were shot and killed during a shootout with police while hiding in a suburban house in the city.

Cele in the statement said such breakthroughs are encouraging and restore hope to communities that have felt the wrath of the ruthless criminals. 

“It is clear that if these intelligence driven operations are consistently executed and intensified, they will bring about stability to this area that has been terrorised by gangs and ultimately bring about peace to people living in the province. We are encouraged as the Police Ministry that these individuals involved in criminal acts are being hunted down and brought to book,” Cele concluded.

Source: South African Government News Agency