Six people were shot in the early hours of Tuesday morning, following a shootout in Primrose, Germiston, amid an illegal mining operation.
According to the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Kelebogile Thepa, seven people were arrested during an illegal mining operation in the area.
The operation was conducted the EMPD’s Rapid Tactical Response Unit officers together with the men and women in blue from Germiston police’s Illegal Mining Unit.
Thepa said that the officers proceeded to a scrapyard on the corner of Main Reef and Johann Rissik roads in the area to conduct the operation.
“Upon their arrival, the suspects noticed the officers and opened fire towards the officers. During the shootout, the highly skilled officers shot six (6) suspects, disarming them of their weapons and arrested one (1) other male suspect who attempted to flee the scene,” Thepa said.
Speaking to IOL News, Thepa said that the suspects, are aged between the ages of 27 and 33 years, were transported to the nearest hospitals to receive medical attention.
“One was rushed to the Tambo Memorial Hospital in Boksburg and the other was taken to the Bertha Gxowa Hospital in Germiston,” she told IOL News.
During the operation, the officers seized several weapons from the suspects.
“Among the weapons recovered were a brown double-barrel shotgun with intact serial numbers, a black 12-gauge shotgun with intact serial numbers, a silver 9mm Luger with intact serial numbers, and a silver special 38- 9mm revolver with intact serial numbers.”
Thepa added: “A black Taurus 9mm handgun with defaced serial numbers, as well as an undisclosed amount of live ammunition was also recovered.”
Meanwhile, all the seven suspects were arrested and escorted to Germiston police station, and are facing charges of possession of illegal firearms, possession of live ammunition, and attempted murder.
The suspects are expected to appear at the Germiston Magistrate’s Court soon.