Bloodbath: Cops comb stronghold
2006-06-26 11:14
Johannesburg - Police were combing a suspected gang hideout on Monday for clues after a deadly shoot-out at the weekend claimed the lives of 12 people, including four officers, a spokesperson said.
Eight alleged robbers were also killed after a five-hour standoff erupted in a gunfight in southeastern Johannesburg when police surrounded and then stormed a home suspected of being a gang stronghold.
"Our detectives worked until late last (Sunday) night and are still there going through the home and looking for clues," said Dennis Adriao, adding that investigators had found a large number of heavy weapons including an AK-47 assault rifle and ammunition.
One of the worst shootings in recent years in Johannesburg was sparked on Sunday morning when the armed gang robbed a supermarket chain in the city's north and fled to their hideout.
Police arrested one of the fleeing gang members who led them to a home in Jeppestown.
"Police surrounded the house. When they entered the house to arrest the gang a major shoot-out ensued. Some of the gangsters were even hiding in the ceiling," Captain Adriao said.
Fourteen other suspected robbers surrendered while three others were wounded. The group was expected to appear in court Tuesday to face murder and armed robbery charges, Adriao said.
An indictment on criminal justice system
A crime expert on Monday said the shoot-out was an indication of the shortcomings of the country's criminal justice system.
"It just shows how brazen criminals have become that they think they can commit these sorts of crimes in broad daylight and get away with it," said Pretoria-based researcher Antoinette Louw.
"It's an indictment on our criminal justice system," Louw, a senior researcher with the Institite for Security Studies told AFP.
Despite police reporting a drop in murders and attempted murders in the country last year, crime remained at unacceptably high levels since the country's transition to democracy in 1994.
Statistics released in September last year said 18,793 murders were reported in the country of 46 million for 2004/2005, indicating a drop of 5.2% on the previous year.
Louw said however that "there is no doubt that the murder rate in the country is still one of the highest in the world".