Police, acting on intelligence (or a tip-off), approached a residence where the suspects were located. A shootout ensued with an unknown number of suspects. Three were shot and fatally wounded; they were found in possession of firearms. No reports indicate police injuries in this specific incident.
The suspects are linked to a CIT robbery in the Kranskop CBD on 13 April 2026. In that earlier incident, an undisclosed amount of cash was stolen from a CIT vehicle; three security guards were robbed of their firearms; four vehicles were hijacked as getaway cars; and shots were fired toward a police station (with no officers or members of the public reported injured). One suspect from the April heist was injured in the explosion of the CIT vehicle (reportedly while handling explosives) and was found dead the next day inside an abandoned vehicle along a gravel road near the Tugela River toward Nkandla. The gang involved in the April robbery was believed to number around 12.
A manhunt continues for additional suspects who are believed to have escaped the August operation and remain armed (including at least one rifle). Police have urged the public to contact the nearest police station or Crime Stop at 08600 10111 with any information.
This account is based on statements from KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, as reported by SABC News, IOL, News24, eNCA, and official South African Police Service communications. The suspects were described as wanted for various violent crimes in the province. CIT robberies remain a persistent and violent form of organised crime in South Africa, often involving explosives, high-powered firearms, vehicle hijackings, and confrontations with security personnel or police.
