Dead robbery suspects linked to 16 cases
“The third suspect, who is still in hospital, has not been linked to other cases except the one the was involved in on Sunday,” police spokesman Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said.
He said the two alleged robbers who died in the shoot-out, Tyson Mdluli and Benson Kalusi, were either awaiting trial or linked to other cases through fingerprints.
“Kalusi was awaiting trial for nine crimes and has been linked to four other cases through fingerprints in the Johannesburg and surrounding areas committed between 2006 and 2013.”
“Mdluli was awaiting trial for three crimes, also in the Johannesburg and surrounding areas, committed between 2011 and 2013. In most of these cases, the suspects have been involved in armed robberies and other cases included cases such as attempted murder and possession of suspected stolen property,” Naidoo said.
The three men were confronted by police as they allegedly robbed a Pretoria resident in his driveway in Moot, after following him from the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
“As the team confronted the suspects in an attempt to arrest them, a shoot-out ensued. Two suspects, Mdluli and Kalusi were shot and killed and the third suspect, whose identity cannot be disclosed at this stage, was wounded,” said Naidoo.
He added that the wounded man would be face charges of armed robbery, attempted murder, possession of unlicensed arms and unlicensed ammunition and possession of a suspected stolen BMW vehicle.
Weapons recovered at the scene were sent for ballistic tests to determine if they had been used in other crimes.
National Commissioner of Police, General Riah Phiyega said: ”Our officers place their lives on the line daily to track and arrest such robbers and this case is no different. The lengthy charge sheet of these suspects is a clear indication of the ruthless calibre of these suspects and I thank God that our colleagues were able to escape this life threatening situation unscathed.”-ANA
(File Photo: Gallo Images)