Five people have been apprehended by police in KwaZulu-Natal who were thought to be about to hit a prominent Durban person on Thursday.

According to Brigadier Jay Naicker, a spokesperson for the provincial SAPS, officers found two AK47 assault rifles.

He claimed that a resident of Cato Manor alerted police officers while they were on routine patrols to suspicious-looking people driving around the neighborhood.

“The suspects were cornered on Montille Road, and the tactically prepared police officers called for backup. Two AK47 assault rifles were discovered in one of the vehicles, and four suspects who were traveling in two vehicles were arrested.

According to Naicker, "one vehicle attempted to speed off but was outsmarted by the police who managed to stop it a few km from the original scene, where the fifth suspect was arrested."

He stated that the sixth suspect has since been sought out by police.

He added that preliminary investigations have revealed that four suspects armed with knives reported hijacking one of the vehicles earlier this month in Inanda.

Soon, the men will appear in court.

In the meantime, two people wanted for a robbery in Pinetown have been remanded in custody in a separate case.

Naicker said the pair, who are expected back in the Pinetown Local Court on April 26, are matured 24 and 26 and were captured on charges of outfitted burglary and the unlawful ownership of a gun and ammo.

He stated that the investigation by the police resulted in the successful placement of the two suspects at the Mariannhill crime scenes and that the firearm that was discovered in their possession was positively associated with the slayings of five people on the same day at two distinct crime scenes.

Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the KZN police commissioner, has praised the officers who acted quickly on information from a community member.

He stated that residents of KwaZulu-Natal maintained their faith in the police as a result of the successful arrests of suspected assassins.

“The actions of the police officers who worked on the information and prevented a murder or murders are commendable. We always encourage community members to provide us with information about criminal activities.

Mkhwanazi stated, "We can rid our areas of many illegal firearms that criminals use to torment law-abiding residents and create fear and panic within communities. Working together with our communities, we can do this."

IOL