A hijacker nabbed following a shootout with police on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast has turned out to be a police officer, police said on Monday.
Superintendent Muzi Mngomezulu said police noticed a white Volkswagen Golf being followed by a maroon Nissan Sentra near KwaDukuza (formerly Stanger) in the early hours of Saturday morning.
When police attempted to stop the vehicles, the men in the two cars opened fire on the officers. A shootout ensued and the five men abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot.
However, the officers managed to arrest one of the suspects — a 25-year-old constable from the Newark police station, about 35km north of KwaDukuza near the Tugela River.
Police also heard a noise from the boot of the Golf. When they opened it they discovered the owner of the car, who had been hijacked shortly after 2.30am while driving along the R102 near KwaDukuza.
The constable is expected to appear in court shortly and faces charges of hijacking, kidnapping, armed robbery and attempted murder.
”The provincial commissioner [Hamilton Ngidi] of KwaZulu-Natal has complimented the excellent work done by the police in KwaDukuza and emphasises that no room for corrupt members will ever exist in this province,” said Mngomezulu. — Sapa