Suspected gangster arrested while visiting friend at court

An alleged gangster who went to visit his friend at the Port Elizabeth Magistrate's court was nabbed by detectives on Monday morning.

The 28-year-old suspected gang member, who police are only naming until he has been formally charged in court, was arrested on Monday when he  arrived at the  court to visit a friend.

Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said that the investigators were at court when they spotted the suspect who was appearing for an attempted murder allegedly committed in June 2019 in Gelvandale. “Detectives arrested the 28-year-old when he arrived at the court.  He was wanted for an attempted murder that occurred on July 13 in Deverill Road in Helenvale.”

Naidu said that the man was wanted for allegedly shooting at a rival gang member in the street.

“The shooter is known to the complainant,” she said.

In another case, also on Monday, three suspects wanted for a house robbery in Missionvale nine days ago have been arrested.

Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Alwin Labans said that the three were part of a gang of seven men who robbed a couple inside a shack in the informal settlement.

“The robbery happened on July 13 and saw about seven suspects kick open the shack door and rob the occupants. The men threatened them with knives and pangas at the time. The suspects then fled on foot,” he said.

“Investigations had been ongoing when this morning a tip-off was received on the location of three of the suspects.”

Labans said that the Trio Task Team as well as the Anti-Gang Unit moved into the  informal settlement area to track the suspects.

“By midday on Monday three of the suspects had been caught at various houses in the nearby vicinity. It appears that the suspects lived in the nearby vicinity to the house that they targeted,” he said.

The remaining four suspects are still at large. Both the suspect detained on a charge of attempted murder and the other three men will appear in their district magistrate's court on Wednesday.