Garden Route Flying Squad flies high

Video Warning: Graphic content

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS & VIDEO - Two Garden Route Flying Squad members were honoured at the annual Saps awards for their role in a massive shootout with armed robbers last year, which won them the Catch of The Year Award at the Saps Western Cape Excellence Awards.

"J***** AO, ek's bly jy's lewendig, broer… [Crikey warrant officer, I’m glad you're alive, brother…"].

These were the words uttered by Constable Ruan Kennard to his colleague, WO John-Marcel Muller, after a high-speed car chase during which heavy gunfire was exchanged between them and the armed robbers of a Plettenberg Bay jewellery store on 6 December last year.

One of the robbers, a notorious gang leader from Plumtree in Zimbabwe known as "'Small", died in the shootout near Uniondale following a chase along the R328. A second robber, who had a high-powered rifle, disappeared down a mountain gorge and has not been seen since. A third suspect was arrested and has appeared in court facing robbery and hijacking charges.

Near Uniondale, the BMW getaway car was abandoned after crashing into a barrier after a shoot-out, but the suspects hijacked a white Huyndai and sped off towards Willowmore. Again a shoot-out occurred with dozens of bullets flying both ways.

Earlier in the day, three armed robbers had brazenly entered 94-year-old Oom Schalk Vorster's business, Plett Manufacturing Jewellers, pointing guns at him and escaping with trays of jewellery.

In a graphic video posted on YouTube by the police, Constable Kennard narrates the drama of the shoot-out over many kilometres. During the narrative, video footage from his bodycam is shown.

Dozens of bullets are heard flying and sirens wailing during the high-speed drama, in which at least two shoot-outs occurred.

When the chase came to an end, the windscreen of the Flying Squad car was pock-marked and riddled with bullet holes, and one of the suspects was lying on the ground. In stark contrast, Kennard calmly adds at the end of the video, "All items were recovered from the Plettenberg Bay robbery and a firearm from the suspect."