Supermarket Staff Held as Hostages, Rescued, Police Say Suspects Are Still on the Run

• Several staff members were rescued after being held hostage at a supermarket store in KwaZulu-Natal
• Some of the staff were locked inside a cold room at the store and had to be treated for hyperthermia
• According to police on the scene the armed suspects are on the run and members of SAPS are working around the clock to find them

KWAZULU-NATAL - Staff members who were locked in a cold room at a KwaZulu-Natal supermarket were released after being held hostage by armed suspects.

Some of the staff were treated for hypothermia after police task teams and K9 unit members arrived at a Boxer Cash and Carry store.

TimesLIVE reported that Dylan Meyrick of IPSS Medical Rescue and IPSS Security Operations said the suspects accosted the staff and surrounded the premises.

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Police spokesperson, brigadier Jay Naicker said during an interview with eNCA that after viewing the video footage of the store it was discovered that the suspects fled the scene after realising none of the staff members had access to the cash register. The suspects are still on the run.

“Detectives from the provincial task team are on scene,” added brigadier Naicker.

South Africans reacted to the hostage situation

@KeithHarding21 commented:

“KZN is a movie.”

@politioke shared:

“Special Task Force - a reminder that Zuma tried to destroy this elite unit.”

@PowerMasimba posted:

“It seems as if the police are useless, why didn't they surround the whole store? #KznHostages.”

@OwenChipen said:

“KZN as a province has the highest crime rate in the country. The newly appointed Police National Commissioner should prioritise this area to upgrade security.”

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Teen shot for robbing pedestrian of his cellphone in KZN, SA reacts

@TawandaMugomeza reacted:

“KZN should just become an independent country cause lots of bad things happen there.”

Soap Counterfeiters Fail to Make Clean Getaway, Police Raid Massive Operation

Briefly News also reported that the South African Police swooped in on a suspected counterfeiting operation in Springs, Gauteng. A large operation was raided where counterfeit soap was being allegedly packaged and sold. The Hawks raided the premises and found a large amount of counterfeit soap, packaging for major brands as well as equipment used to create the soap.

"The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigating team together with brand protectors from Spoor & Fisher Attorneys assisted by members of Public Order Policing (POP) from Springs executed a search and seizure disruptive operation in terms of counterfeit goods Act 37 of 1997, at the premises in Selection Park, Springs on Friday, 01 April 2022."

The value of the seized goods has not been determined. A 42-year-old suspect has been taken into custody and will appear before the Springs Magistrates' Court on charges of contravening the counterfeit goods Act 37 of 1997 once all investigations are concluded.

Source: Briefly News