Car found near murder spot
2006-07-24 11:00
Johannesburg - A car which was stolen in Johannesburg north's Sandringham suburb on Sunday was found a few hours later parked near the Jeppestown house where four police officers died during a fierce gun battle with robbers, Gauteng police said.
An AK-47 with 30 live rounds of ammunition were found inside the silver BMW, Constable Sefako Xaba said.
He said the car, which was found parked at the corner of Karl and Commissioner streets at 20:45 on Sunday, was hijacked at Sandringham near Alexandra at about 15:00 on the same day.
"We suspect there could be a link between the two scenes (the police shooting and the hijacked car). All possibilities are being investigated," Xaba said.
A vehicle tracking company helped track the car and the flying squad picked up the signal. They went to the scene and found the car there.
The BMW - registration BDC 290 GP - was taken to the Cleaveland police station for forensic testing, he said.
Four policemen and at least eight people believed to be associated with a group of alleged supermarket robbers were shot dead in a standoff with police in Jeppestown late last month.
The Sunday Times newspaper reported that the men arrested could be former military operatives from Zimbabwe.
- SAPA