Durban – Five members of a suspected criminal syndicate have been arrested in Durban, police said on Wednesday.

“The suspects, aged between 34 and 36, were arrested in the early hours on Wednesday morning in Ntuzuma, Umlazi, and KwaDabeka,” Colonel Vincent Mdunge said.

They were allegedly involved in several crimes, including hijacking, house robberies, armed robberies, and possession of unlicensed firearms, he said.

“In July the suspects [allegedly] committed house robberies, hijackings, and car thefts in the Isipingo area. In one house the suspects took R60 000, a Toyota Fortuner, Kia Sonata, four cellphones, and an amplifier.”

In a separate robbery in the same township they allegedly stole a Toyota Fortuner, R7 000 in cash, and a plasma TV, Mdunge said.

The vehicles stolen from both house robberies were recovered at Umlazi G section where they had been abandoned.

“When arresting the suspects police recovered eight cellphones, a laptop, plasma screen and a Z88 pistol belonging to a Chatsworth policeman who was robbed of the firearm,” he said.

They will appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

– SAPA