SAPS Hunt for Injured Extortion Suspect Following Shootout, Mzansi Praises Law Enforcement Officers
- Police officers shot and killed one man and injured three others when they engaged in a shootout with extortion crime suspects in Kaggafontein, Mpumalanga
- Two suspects are currently in hospital, while police have launched a plan to arrest the fourth criminal who escaped
- Citizens are full of praise for the men and women in blue, urging them to continue the no-nonsense approach
KWAGGAFONTEIN - Police are cracking down on extortion crimes, and South Africans couldn’t be prouder.
Law enforcement officers made their presence felt in Mpumalanga, sending a message to criminals that their days numbered.
Source: Getty Images
Officers shot dead and killed one suspect and injured a further two after engaging in a shootout with criminals in Kwaggafontein.
In an official statement about the incident, provincial police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli explained that the men opened fire on police, which led to the fatal shooting of one of them.
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The two suspects injured in the altercation are currently under police guard in hospital.
Police launch search for 4th suspect
A fourth suspect involved was also injured in the shooting but managed to evade arrest.
SAPS have now launched a 72-hour plan to trace the suspect and bring him to book.
“Though the fourth suspect managed to flee the scene to evade the arrest, he may have sustained injuries during the confrontation."
Ministers promise to crack down on crime
The no-nonsense approach comes after Police Minister Senzo Mchunu promised extortionists that the SAPS were closing in on them.
The minister delivered the warning after releasing the quarterly crime stats.
He wasn't the only minister to weigh in on the situation, as Gayton McKenzie also had his say. The Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture rallied South Africans together when he said that criminals involved in extortion crimes needed to be dealt with swiftly.
South Africans praise SAPS
While the police often get a bad reputation in the country, netizens have praised the men and women in blue after the latest incident.
Social media users praised the work done by police in ensuring that criminals involved in extortion were dealt with.
@StHonorable asked other provinces to follow Mpumalanga’s lead:
“Lovely. In each and every province, cops should do likewise. Now we are moving.”
@Luzz_Nex agreed that things are heading the right way:
“Now we are moving in the right direction.”
@uMaster_Sandz added this was the only way to handle matters.
“That’s how we deal with extortionists. They have declared war against the citizens of SA.”
@AyandaXesha was less subtle in saying there was one less criminal to deal with.
“Minus one problem. One by one until they’re no more. We are tired of living like this.”
While @BlaqDolf urged police to keep up the excellent work.
“Big up to the police enforcing the law 👏🏽 Continue pushing ✊🏾”
@Doobsie_Dons added that police shooting dead the suspects worked better:
“Prisons are full. This is a very good method of dealing with criminals.”
How extortion crimes are committed
While extortion crimes have featured heavily in the news lately, they are by no means a new trend.
In 2023, Briefly News produced an explainer on how the crime is committed in the construction industry.
Criminals have chosen construction sites and businesses as their primary targets for extortion.
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Source: Briefly News
