CAPE TOWN, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Police foiled a robbery attempt in Durban on Saturday, killing nine suspects in what was believed to be the most successful anti-crime operation in years.
Acting on intelligence-driven information, police placed themselves on duty in a business premise in Durban which the suspects planned to rob, KwaZulu-Natal provincial police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said.
The suspects arrived and immediately when they saw the police officers, they fired shots, Gwala said.
In an exchange of gunfire, police killed seven suspects at the scene and arrested another suspect, he said.
Three rifles, six pistols, explosives and breaking implements were recovered from the deceased suspects, said Gwala.
Whilst the police officers were still busy at the scene, two suspects fired gunshots at them not far from the scene, Gwala said.
The police officers returned fire, killing the two suspects on the spot, he said.
Two unlicensed firearms were found in their possession, Gwala said.
Charges of inquest, attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearm, possession of ammunition, possession of explosives, possession of breaking implements and attempted robbery are being investigated, he said.
The operation drew immediate praise from Police Minister Bheki Cele who said the police must be supported in the fight against dangerous and highly armed criminals.
"The call to halve violent crimes requires a dedicated workforce that will go out there and stamp the authority of the state," Cele said.
In June this year, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa vowed to reduce violent crimes in the country at least by half in the next decade.
In South Africa, official statistics showed that for the period between April 2018 to March 2019, police recorded 21,022 murders in the country, up 3.4 percent from the year before.
This averages out to 57.6 murders each day, at a rate of 35.8 murders per 100,000 people.
