When the Hawks attempted to flag down a suspicious vehicle, the suspects opened fire.
Five people have reportedly been killed following a shootout on the R61 toll road near Shelly Beach in Durban.
According to the reports, the five, believed to have been a gang of armed robbers, were shot and killed by officers from the Durban Organised Crime unit on Monday, South Coast Herald reported.
Five firearms were apparently recovered, including an AK47 that was found in the suspects’ vehicle.
The Hawks are said to have received information about a vehicle carrying people suspected of being involved in cash-in-transit heists approaching from the Eastern Cape.
When the Hawks attempted to flag down the vehicle, the suspects apparently opened fire.
The Hawks returned fire, killing all five occupants in the car.
Official statements are awaited from the Hawks and the SAPS.