Three Suspected Extortionists Gunned Down in Police Shootout After Allegedly Opening Fire on Eastern Cape Cops Near Elliotdale Scrapyard

Three men suspected of extortion were shot dead during a shootout with police near Elliotdale in the Eastern Cape on Thursday afternoon. The men were fatally wounded when members of the National Intervention Unit acted on operational intelligence aimed at disrupting suspected criminal activities in the area.

Police spokesperson Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said officers received information about suspected extortionists travelling in a white Toyota Fortuner around Elliotdale at about 5pm. The vehicle matching the description was spotted near a scrapyard, where two of the three occupants allegedly alighted and opened fire on police.

Officers returned fire, fatally wounding all three suspects, who were aged between 36 and 57. Two firearms were recovered at the scene. Police opened a case involving three counts of attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearms and intimidation, along with three inquest dockets at Elliotdale police station.

The matter has been handed to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), which investigates deaths involving police action. The three suspects died at the scene following the exchange of gunfire, while the recovery of the two firearms forms part of the ongoing investigation into the incident and the alleged extortion activities.