Parys: Two suspected blue light robbers were shot and killed on Sunday following a shootout with the police in Parys, Free State.
According to South African Government News Agency, a team comprising various police units in Gauteng, including the Tactical Response Team, Traffic Airwing, Detectives Tracking Team, Head Office Counter Intelligence, along with private security companies, acted on intelligence information regarding a VW Golf 7 vehicle reportedly involved in blue light robberies.
The operation was strategically executed, with the vehicle being detected on the R59 road equipped with blue lights. When the police attempted to stop the vehicle, it initiated a high-speed chase, culminating in a shootout between the suspects and law enforcement. The pursuit ended when the suspects' vehicle lost control and crashed into a fence in the Parys area.
Upon inspecting the vehicle, police found two suspects dressed in police uniforms dead inside. The team also recovered two unlicensed firearms with ammunition, SAPS uniforms with insignia, blue lights, sirens, and false registration numbers. Preliminary investigations suggest that the suspects were involved in a string of blue light robberies on the R59 and other roads between Gauteng and Free State provinces. The suspects allegedly hijacked and kidnapped victims, holding them for hours while withdrawing money from the victims' bank accounts.