Police helicopters hovered over Phoenix, north of Durban, and officers were searching bushes after a dramatic shoot-out with a gang of suspected cash-in-transit robbers early on Tuesday morning.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesman Colonel Robert Netshiunda said police were looking for injured suspects, who fled from the scene on Phoenix Highway. Two suspects were killed during the gunfight.

“Nearby hospitals and medical centres have been informed about the shootout and that they should report any patient with suspected gunshot wounds to the police,” he said.

Netshiunda explained the suspects were linked to a cash-in-transit robbery in Kranskop on Monday afternoon.

“A multidisciplinary team the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI), Provincial Tracking and Tracing Team, Tactical Response Team (TRT) and K9 Unit were searching for the suspects who had committed a cash in transit robbery in Kranskop on Monday afternoon.”

Three rifles and a pistol, several rounds of ammunition as well as an undisclosed amount of money were found in possession of the suspects.

Colonel Robert Netshiunda

“After an extensive search throughout the night, the suspects were spotted at Bhamshela in Tongaat early this morning and having defied police’s instruction to stop, a high-speed chase continued.”

The suspects’ vehicle then crashed against a lamp pole along the Phoenix Highway and the suspects got out of the vehicle and started shooting at the police.

“A shootout ensued and two suspects were fatally shot, one next to the vehicle whereas the other was shot inside a residence where he had run into as he continued shooting at the police,” said Netshiunda.

Another suspect was later arrested when he was located at a block of flats with gunshot wounds.

“The search for the other suspects is underway with police following blood stains into the bushes. Though no police officer was injured, a police vehicle was sprayed with bullets from the suspects,” said Netshiunda.