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‘Some of those killed in Pietermaritzburg were dangerous members of society’

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Police Minister Bheki Cele says some of those killed in a shootout with police in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday, are understood to have been dangerous members of society.

Seven people – including two women were killed during the shootout at a house in the suburb of Scottsville.

One of alleged gang members has been identified as an awaiting trial prisoner who was part of a mass escape in the city in May.

Cele says the gang was armed with AK47s and other firearms.

“It was a group of boys that were known all the time, including those that escaped from prison. What transpired is we have about seven [people] dead, five of whom are boys that were notorious and dangerous to the people and two girls.”

“Whether those girls were willingly there, the investigation will tell us. There were five guns and a lot of new ammunition which I am sure the police will find out where they got [if from],” explains Cele.

Law enforcement officials were reportedly following up on information that a notorious gang was terrorising people in Plessislaer.

“The house is leased, it looks like they were here plus minus a month. Surely, the police will be working to find the owner and find out what’s his understanding. There are 3 cars parked here. It looks like 2 of them are either hijacked or stolen or almost all of them.”

“So we’ll be pursuing the owners of the cars to find out what happened. But you can see these were notorious and brutal group of young men,” added the police minister.

Seven suspects shot and killed during shootout with police:

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