One of the five men shot and killed by police in Marianhill, west of Durban in KwaZulu Natal on Thursday, was a wanted hardened criminal. The man who was allegedly involved in scrapyard murders in the city, where two people were shot dead, was facing more than 20 charges including murder and hijacking. 

POLICE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THEM

KZN police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda said the officers had acted on intelligence received on the whereabouts of the wanted suspects when the shoot-out happened. "When the police signalled for the suspects to pull over, the suspects fired shots at the police and a shootout ensued. After the shootout, five suspects were found to have suffered fatal gunshot wounds," Netshiunda said. He added that one of the suspects has been on the police's wanted list in connection with a series of murders and other serious violent crimes. "He was also linked to the Marianhill scrap yards murder, where five people were shot and killed in two separate incidents in February this year," Netshiunda said.

PROFILING SUSPECTS

Netshiunda said they were still trying to profile four others killed during the attack. "The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has been notified for further investigations," he said, adding that four firearms including two rifles were recovered at the scene of the shooting.