South Africa’s police ministry has commended the work of Durban police in de-escalating the Umbumbulu hostage stand-off that occurred on Tuesday.
Police applauded for de-escalating Umbumbulu hostage situation
In a statement, police spokesperson Lirandzu Themba confirmed that after several hours of intense negotiations between authorities and the armed suspect, an elderly woman and her grandchildren were released unharmed.
“It is alleged that the hostage situation stemmed from a business robbery that occurred on Tuesday morning, 01 February 2022 at Cato Ridge, where five men robbed the staff of a cellphone shop at gunpoint,” Thumba explained.
The gang, it’s believed, made off with an undisclosed amount of cellphones, but not without attracting the attention of Durban’s K9 and Special Task Force units.
The pressure from law enforcement, who were hot on their heels, was enough to deter the robbers, forcing them to flee on foot after crashing their getaway vehicle.
“Police officers from the K9 Unit and Special Task Force also joined the chase, in pursuit of the suspects who ran into the bushes. While one suspect was arrested, another armed suspect fled into a nearby house and held the occupants, an elderly woman and her two young grandchildren hostage,” the statement read.
Minutes turned to hours, and as the clock ticked by, concerns for the well-being of the hostages turned to worry, as they were held against their will by an unpredictable assailant who, at that point, had nothing to lose.
HAPPENING NOW: Hostage situation in uMbumbulu south of Durban.A robbery suspect who was on the run from police gained entry into this house and is holding the family hostage. The suspect is armed.#sabcnews pic.twitter.com/0qbF5RQsHg
— Simphiwe makhanya (@Simphiwemakha) February 1, 2022
Fortunately, however, the unrelenting work of the police resulted in the hostages being released and the suspect handing himself over.
Police Minister Bheki Cele commended the team of officers for saving the lives of innocent victims whose property was randomly targeted by the robber.
“It is through the collaboration between private security personnel and police that these criminals were tracked down, soon after committing the first crime. It is thanks to the expertise of the Special Task Force, K9 Units and the police hostage negotiators that innocent lives were sparred. It’s commendable that these officers were able to handle such a delicate situation with the care and agility it demanded,” Cele said.
The two suspects in custody will be central to trace operations led by police in finding and nabbing the robbery suspects.