Notorious Gang Leader, 22, ‘Most Wanted’ for Inanda Murders Killed in Verulam Shootout

• Police rid the streets of KwaZulu-Natal of a dangerous criminal following a gun battle in an area of Verulam
• Law enforcement followed up on intel about a most wanted suspect en route to commit a crime in Umhlanga
• A gang leader and two others fired at police, sparking a gunfight in which two of the criminals were killed

VERULAM — A feared gangster, wanted for a string of brutal murders in KwaZulu-Natal, is permanently off the streets, snuffed out in a police shootout.

Law enforcement, after operationalising information on his whereabouts, pounced on the 22-year-old infamous leader of the notorious Inanda West Gang, taking him down with an accomplice in Cottonlands, an area of Verulam.

Feared gangster catches end of cop bullet

It follows intelligence about him and two fellow gang members travelling to Umhlanga on Thursday, 30 January 2025.

Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said a team operationalised the intel as the crew reportedly made their way to pick up drugs and ammunition.

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"They [were observed] swapping cars [before] departing Umhlanga. Police followed them until they parked their vehicle along Vincent Dickinson Road in Cottonlands."

"When police approached, the suspects fired at them, and the team retaliated. The gang leader and a 27-year-old accomplice suffered fatal gunshot wounds in the exchange," he said.

A search is underway for the third suspect after he narrowly escaped the police.

The gang leader, whom the police did not name, had a warrant out for his arrest on a case of murder. However, he was linked to over 20 cases and is believed to have killed over 10 people.

His other cases included attempted murder, robberies, intimidation and arson.

Police seized a firearm in the gang leader's possession during a preliminary search of the vehicle. Though his identity was still unknown, he is one of the latest notorious figures to be eliminated, though not all at the hands of police.

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Briefly News reported earlier in November that a George criminal underworld kingpin, Mark Lifman, was shot dead in the parking lot of the Garden Route Mall on Sunday, 3 November 2024.

Lifman, killed the day before he was due to appear in the Western Cape High Court, was facing multiple charges, including murder, attempted murder, money laundering and gang-related offences.

KZN Provincial Commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, in a statement, applauded the police for their relentless search for the most wanted suspect, who, similar to another dangerous, most wanted criminal in Limpopo, terrorised the communities of Inanda, KwaMashu and the surrounding areas.

"It would've been ideal to arrest the [gang leader] alive to face his charges in court and bring closure to his victims and their families.

"Unfortunately, he attempted to kill officers, inevitably calling on police action, resulting in the outcome," said Mkhwanazi.

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Police kill West Gang member

In related news, Briefly News reported that police shot and killed three West Gang members in a gunfight after cornering them in a shack in La Mercy.

Then, on Wednesday, 31 January 2024, the gang was believed to be behind over 50 murders and a string of robberies in 2023 in Inanda.

They were allegedly also behind the death of a police officer, a community policing forum (CPF) member and a neighbourhood watch patroller.

Source: Briefly News