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OpenSA: One Dead, Five Arrested As Police Pounce On Armed Gang Targeting Churches
South African police shot dead one suspect and arrested five others following a shootout in Westdene, Sophiatown, on Monday, March 24, 2025.
Of the five arrested, two are in the hospital under police guard after sustaining injuries during the shootout.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed the incident, saying the suspects, believed to be involved in several robberies at churches and places of worship, exchanged gunfire with law enforcement officers. The statement reads:
The suspects are believed to be involved in a number of incidents where churches and places of worship were robbed.
They were found in possession of unlicensed firearms and music instruments that they allegedly stole from a church in Florida.
Police crime intelligence received information about the suspects who were committing armed robberies and break-ins at places of worship around Gauteng. The information was that a group was to rob a church in Florida.
Various law enforcement agencies that include South African Police Service Counter Intelligence Head Office, Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Tracking Team, Gauteng Tactical Response Team, Gauteng Anti-Gang Unit, Gauteng Traffic Police Air Wing, CAP Specialised Operations, Tracker Connect and Bad Boyz Security was activated to intercept the suspects.
As they were on a lookout, the team spotted a Toyota Quantum that was said to be used by the suspects driving in Sophiatown.
The suspects sped off as they were stopped by the police. A chase ensued. During the chase, the suspects started shooting at the law enforcement officers and a shootout ensued. The suspects’ car crashed into a fence.
Five suspects were arrested and one was fatally wounded. Two suspects amongst the five were wounded during the shootout and under police guard in hospital.
The statement further reveals that police recovered three firearms and ammunition from the suspects, along with a music system valued at over R2 million, which was found in the vehicle.
The music system is believed to have been stolen from a church in Florida. Police also seized the Toyota Quantum used in the commission of the crime.
The suspects will undergo profiling, and the firearms will be sent for ballistic tests to determine if they were used in the commission of other crimes.
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