The Eastern Cape police and law enforcement have killed another alleged extortionist who opened fire on them.
This comes after the police in Centane successfully defended themselves against the alleged extortionist.
With the help of members of the national intervention unit, the police claim to have been conducting a crime intelligence operation while investigating reports of a person of interest who was allegedly involved in extortion at Centane over the weekend.
According to reports, the suspect asked Centane CBD businesses for protection fees. The police tried to pull over the identified car when they saw it as he was leaving town.
After stopping far from the police, the deceased got out of the car. He pulled out the gun and began shooting at the police, who retaliated, killing the 34-year-old man.
No police member was injured during the incident.
Additionally, police seized his vehicle as well as a 9 mm firearm with the serial number filed off, a bulletproof vest, and other items.
Police will fight fire with fire
Xolile Nqatha, the MEC for transport and community safety in the Eastern Cape, has commended the police for their efforts to combat crime.
“As the provincial government, we have committed to creating crime-free communities as mandated by Section 12 of the National Development Plan,” Nqatha said.
“We will not allow criminals to thwart our efforts of creating a safer Eastern Cape.”
The MEC reiterated that police will not back down in the face of criminal attacks. The province has been dealing with ongoing cases of extortion since the beginning of August.
As a result, Dalinzolo Mareke, the so-called chief of Mthatha West, was killed. Mareke was never a traditional leader in the area and was later linked to an extortion gang.
This was according to the Royal Kingdom of AbaThembu in Mthatha, in response to Mareke’s passing.
In the meantime, President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised that law enforcement is committed to bringing those who terrorise businesses and communities to justice.
