COPS find hijacked vehicle and an unlicenced firearm during a raid.
A suspected vehicle stripping operation in Zonkizizwe, Ekurhuleni came crashing down on Saturday, 20 June when law enforcement officers uncovered a hijacked vehicle and an unlicenced firearm during the operation.
But the operation took an unexpected turn when a fire broke out at the property while officers were still processing the scene.
According to Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) spokeswoman Chief Superintendent Kelebogile Thepa, officers from the EMPD Community Liaison Unit, together with other law enforcement agencies, acted on intelligence received regarding a suspect allegedly in possession of a hijacked vehicle.
The information pointed officers to a house in Zonkezizwe, where the vehicle was allegedly being kept before being stripped for spare parts. After assessing the intelligence and planning the operation, law enforcement teams descended on the property.
However, as officers approached the house, the suspect reportedly spotted them and immediately fled.
"The suspect jumped over the walls and fled the scene. Officers gave chase, but he managed to evade arrest," said Thepa.
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Despite the dramatic escape, officers continued their search of the premises. Inside a garage, they discovered a silver Toyota Quest. Further investigations confirmed that the vehicle was reported hijacked and was linked to a case registered at the Zonkizizwe Police Station.
The search yielded another alarming discovery. Hidden beneath a pillow in one of the bedrooms, officers recovered an unlicenced .38 Special revolver with its serial number allegedly filed off.
The recovered vehicle was subsequently impounded and transported to the Aeroton vehicle pound for further investigation, while police launched a manhunt for the fleeing suspect.
But the drama did not end there. While officers were still processing the crime scene, smoke was suddenly spotted billowing from one of the bedrooms. Upon investigation, authorities suspected that a heater left switched on may have ignited the fire.
The Ekurhuleni Fire Department was immediately called to the scene and managed to contain the blaze before it could spread to other parts of the house or neighbouring properties.
Police are continuing their search for the suspect and urged anyone with information that could help in the investigation to come forward.
