Latest news with #PremBalram
TimesLIVE
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Panelbeater accidentally destroys five customers' cars
What was meant to be a fire to get rid of rubbish resulted in five cars being gutted while awaiting repairs at a panelbeating workshop. The incident happened on Tuesday at Waterloo in KwaZulu-Natal after the Malawian owner started the fire. Prem Balram, a spokesperson for private security company Reaction Unit SA, said unit members 'arrived on the scene at about 1.30pm and removed gas cylinders lying near the burning vehicles. 'The flames spread through the yard, which resulted in five customers' vehicles catching alight. Firefighters from the eThekwini fire department extinguished the blaze.' No injuries were reported.
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Teen girl targeted by Instagram predator in KZN
A KZN family called for help after a man who met their teenage daughter on Instagram and threatened her arrived at their home. In the digital era, children can use their devices to interact with strangers on social media. For a 13-year-old girl from Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), what began as an online friendship with a man on Instagram turned into a nightmare when he shared explicit content, threatened her, and tracked her down. On Monday afternoon, officers from Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) were called to a residence after an Instagram follower, who had threatened the girl's life, was discovered outside her home at approximately 3.17 pm. KZN teen's stalking outside her home When the officers arrived at the home, the 18-year-old man had fled the scene in a white Toyota Corolla. The girl's family had also locked themselves inside the house. The perpetrator has been identified as a resident of Kenville, in KZN, and works for a catering company. Rusa spokesperson Prem Balram said the family told the officers that their Grade 8 daughter had been chatting to a man who befriended her on Instagram in April 2024. ALSO READ: Taylor Swift stalker nabbed in Germany The teen's interaction with the man turned dark when the man allegedly repeatedly sent her nude images and homemade pornographic videos via WhatsApp and requested nudes from the girl. 'The girl became concerned for her safety when the suspect stalked her at school and on excursions and knew her whereabouts,' Balram said. 'He then threatened her with exposing her nudes and demanded money.' Man, 18, threatened to expose teen's explicit images for money Pictures: Supplied. In South African law, sexually explicit photographs, videos and communications, including those sent between minors under the age of 18, may be classified as child pornography, and the taker of the image, the recipient of the image, and anyone who shares the content may be charged and found guilty of crimes. Unfortunately, the teenage girl has shared personal details with the man, who used the information to track down her residential address and the work locations of her parents. The situation escalated to threats of kidnapping and murder. ALSO READ: Court orders 'obsessed' stalker to stay away from former lover Balram said Rusa is in possession of several pornographic videos made by the suspect in his home, as well as images and videos of the perpetrator pleasuring himself, and several texts of death threats sent to the minor. Reaction officers have obtained facial images of the suspect, which have been forwarded to the police. The Department of Basic Education (DBE) warned of the safety risks of meeting with online predators. Risks linked to online predators 'The internet is a great space and resource for children and teenagers, giving them access to a wealth of information and interaction owing to a vast array of platforms, including social media, email and text messaging,' the department said in April. 'Unfortunately, with this vast access lies the safety risk of meeting with online predators. Online predators are adults who often, in a sexually motivated way, approach children and teenagers online to exploit their innocence and inexperience.' Such behaviour exposes children to the risks of trafficking and child sexual exploitation. NOW READ: WATCH: Woman badly beaten by alleged stalker ex after arriving at work
IOL News
28-05-2025
- IOL News
Detective work needed to solve violent bus attacks in Verulam
A bus driver was killed during an attack on a bus on Tuesday evening. A conductor and a pregnant woman were also injured in the attack. Image: Reaction Unit South Africa The Verulam Community Policing Forum (CPF) believes detective work can help uncover recent violent attacks on buses, which have left bus drivers dead. This comes after another shooting claimed the life of a bus driver in Verulam, two weeks after another fatal shooting. On Tuesday evening, Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) responded to a shooting where a bus driver was killed and his conductor and a five-month pregnant woman were shot in Redcliffe, Verulam. Rusa spokesperson Prem Balram said the unit and Verulam SAPS Crime Prevention Unit responded to the scene after 6pm. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Balram said first responders learned that two suspects boarded the bus on the corner of Orchid and Redcliffe drives. The suspects produced firearms and opened fire indiscriminately before fleeing on foot. They did not steal any valuables. 'The driver and conductor were expedited to the hospital before the arrival of reaction officers and police. The driver was pronounced deceased shortly after his arrival at the medical facility. The extent of his colleague's injuries remains unknown. 'The 26-year-old pregnant female was seated on the side of the road. She was shot through her right thigh. She was stabilised on scene before being transported to the hospital in a stable condition,' Balram said. A pregnant woman was among three people shot during an incident on a bus in Verulam on Tuesday evening. Image: Reaction Unit South Africa KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed that the driver succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. 'Police in Verulam have opened a case of murder and two counts of attempted murder following an incident in which a bus driver and two passengers were allegedly shot by unknown suspects inside a bus on Orchid Drive at Redcliff in Verulam on Tuesday evening,' Netshiunda said. He said the murder motive was unknown. Verulam CPF chairperson Rachel Wilkin said this category of crime falls under police dependent because it is not a social crime. 'There are other motives which require detective work to get to the bottom of this; these now depend on police action. Only when they do their detective work and they put it before the court, will anyone know what is conclusive because even in front of a court, it has to be proved,' Wilkin said. Wilkin said safe spaces are no longer safe. Criminals invade schools, clinics, hospitals, churches, and even cemeteries. 'We have a breed of criminals now that have zero moral conscience. There's zero ethics or humanity governing them or their actions,' Wilkin said. She asked how one goes to bed at night after shooting a pregnant woman. 'We need to question what it is that we are doing as a society that is breeding this kind of inhumanity, this lack of compassion, this entitlement,' Wilkin said. Two weeks ago, a bus driver died in hospital after being shot in the arm and abdomen during a violent attack on a bus in Verulam. Image: Reaction Unit South Africa On May 12, Balram reported that a bus driver shot during a robbery on Buffelsdraai Road in Buffelsdraai died in the hospital. It is alleged that four suspects posed as passengers before producing firearms and shooting the driver while the bus was in motion. The bus left the roadway before stopping. Balram said the driver was shot in the arm and abdomen. The suspects stole cash and robbed passengers before fleeing on foot.
The Citizen
28-05-2025
- The Citizen
KZN bus shooting: Driver dead, pregnant passenger wounded
A bus driver was killed, and his conductor and a five-month pregnant woman were injured in a shooting in Redcliffe, near Verulam in KZN, last night. The Witness reports that Prem Balram, the spokesperson for Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa), said members of Rusa and the Verulam SAPS Crime Prevention Unit arrived on the scene shortly after 18:00. 'First responders were informed that two suspects boarded the bus on the corner of Orchid and Redcliffe Drive. The gunmen thereafter produced firearms and randomly opened fire before they fled on foot. They did not steal anything of value.' Balram said the driver and conductor were taken to hospital before the arrival of reaction officers and police. 'The driver was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival at the medical facility. The extent of his colleague's injuries are unknown. The 26-year-old pregnant female was seated on the side of the road. 'She was shot through her right thigh. She was stabilised on scene before being transported to hospital in a stable condition,' he said. Balram added that the motive for the shooting is unknown. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
19-05-2025
- The Citizen
KZN woman pushed to clinic in shopping trolley after brutal knife attack
KZN woman pushed to clinic in shopping trolley after brutal knife attack A critically injured woman whose abdomen was slashed open during a violent knife attack was pushed to a local clinic in a shopping trolley by her boyfriend in Tongaat, KZN, on Saturday night. The Witness reports that, according to Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa), a frantic man flagged down a Rusa biker on patrol in the Tongaat CBD just before 20:00 on Gopalall Hurbans Road. He told the officer that his girlfriend had been attacked by a lone suspect, who had disembowelled her. Rusa spokesperson Prem Balram says the woman, in extreme distress, believed she was going to die due to the severity of her injuries. While accompanying the man to the scene, the officer, Jordon Tarr, spotted the suspect nearby. The suspect allegedly drew a knife before being tackled to the ground and arrested. Information gathered at the scene revealed that the suspect is a parolee who was previously convicted of murder. 'It's believed he approached the woman and asked for sex. When she refused, he attacked her with a knife and slashed open her stomach,' says Balram. After handing the suspect over to the SAPS, Tarr began searching for the injured woman, who was no longer at the crime scene. She was eventually found outside a nearby clinic in critical condition, having been transported there in a shopping trolley. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
