11 weapons were seized by police in Empangeni after a shootout, which left two men dead. Photo: SAPS.
Police: Two killed in shootout with National Intervention Unit – 11 firearms seized
Four rifles, including two AK-47s, a shotgun, five pistols, a revolver and 397 rounds of ammunition were seized in Empangeni, said police.
11 weapons were seized by police in Empangeni after a shootout, which left two men dead. Photo: SAPS.
Two men were killed in a shootout with the police in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal in the early hours of Tuesday, 23 August.
TWO KILLED IN SHOOTOUT WITH NIU
South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson, Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, said members of the National Intervention Unit (NIU) received information about a man in possession of firearms in the area.
The officers headed to a house in Farewell Street, “where all necessary measures were taken to gain access to the house.”
The owner allegedly refused to allow police onto his property and they were met with a hail of bullets. A shootout ensued, which left the 45-year-old homeowner and his 36-year-old security guard dead at the scene.
Ngcobo said four rifles, including two AK-47s, a shotgun, five pistols, a revolver and 397 rounds of ammunition were seized at the house.
“Charges of attempted murder, inquest as well as unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition were opened for investigation at Empangeni SAPS,” said the police spokesperson.
The NIU was established in 1979 and was previously known as the Reaction Unit then the Tactical Intervention Group until it was given its current name in 2004. It was set up to address high-risk operations and help the Special Task Force – another elite SAPS unit – with its increased workload.
Earlier this week, NIU members in the Western Cape arrested a man linked to a spate of business robberies in Cape Town. An AK-47 rifle was also found during a search before his arrest.
READ MORE: Cape Town man arrested with AK-47 – linked to robberies, hijackings
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