A SHOOT-OUT erupted in Midrand, Gauteng on Monday afternoon, August 25.
Police were conducting an operation targeting suspects involved in a series of online robberies. The gunfire broke out when members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) moved in on a group allegedly linked to a violent car sale scam operating through Facebook Marketplace.
The suspects had arranged to meet what they believed was another unsuspecting buyer.
The confrontation left five suspects wounded. A police officer, who was shot in the leg during the exchange, was rushed to hospital and is currently receiving medical treatment.
According to deputy Gauteng police commissioner Fred Kekana, the suspects arrived expecting to commit another armed robbery but were met by officers instead.
"They approached the vehicle thinking it was their next target. When they realised it was a police operation, they opened fire. Officers had to defend themselves," Kekana said.
In the exchange, five of the seven suspects were injured. Emergency services treated them at the scene before they were taken into police custody. Two suspects managed to flee, and police believe one of them may also have been wounded. A manhunt is underway to track them down.
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The operation was the result of a tip-off from a prospective buyer who contacted the police after becoming suspicious of a vehicle listing. That report allowed officers to intervene before another robbery could take place.
Kekana said that they also believe this group is responsible for a similar incident in the same area last week, where a buyer was shot and robbed after responding to a car advertisement on the same platform.
Firearms were recovered at the scene, and authorities say the vehicle used to bait victims was the same one involved in both incidents.
Kekana confirmed that police have been intensifying efforts to crack down on online crimes in Midrand, where such cases have been increasing.
