KWAZULU-NATAL – A major KwaZulu-Natal manhunt is underway following a brazen ambush in Cato Manor, where unidentified gunmen opened fire on police officers transporting two suspected cash-in-transit robbers. The attack left the detained suspects wounded and exposed a foiled heist plot that was allegedly scheduled for the following day.
The sequence of events began on the evening of Monday, 24 August 2026, when law enforcement units executing routine stop-and-search protocols in Cato Manor flagged down a silver Toyota Etios stationed at Bonela Sports Field on Raymond Road. Upon approaching the vehicle, officers discovered two individuals inside. A thorough search of the car uncovered an AK-47 assault rifle alongside four fully loaded magazines, resulting in the immediate arrest of both occupants on firearms and ammunition possession charges.
As officers navigated Dunbar Road en route to the station to formally process the detainees, they were tailed by two distinct vehicles: a white Toyota double-cab and a white Toyota Corolla Cross. A KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson noted that the arrested men urgently alerted the officers to the imminent threat, urging them to accelerate. The detainees revealed that the trailing vehicles were en route to supply a second AK-47 for a cash-in-transit robbery operation planned for Tuesday, 25 August 2026.
Heeding the warning, police accelerated but were quickly met with intense gunfire from the pursuing vehicles. Due to a high volume of bystanders in the immediate area, officers made the tactical decision to withhold return fire to prevent civilian casualties and avoid a broader calamity. Instead, they executed evasive driving maneuvers, successfully reaching the safety of a nearby police station.
During the shootout, the two arrested suspects sustained gunshot injuries and were promptly transported to a medical facility. A police spokesperson confirmed that both individuals are currently receiving treatment and recovering under strict police guard. Authorities have now initiated a widespread manhunt to track down the assailants responsible for the attempted murder of police officers and the shooting of the detainees.
