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EXCLUSIVE: Watch heavily armed cops ram their way into alleged gang boss's home

Cape Town - Police officers in a nyala rammed into a garage door at Jerome "Donkie" Booysen's home, forcing it open, and officers armed with automatic rifles then squeezed passed it to get inside, during an early morning raid which has become the focus of legal action.

The officers' faces were partially covered, with only their eyes and the bridges of their noses showing beneath helmets.

All were dressed in what appeared to be combat gear, and one of them carried a shield.

Exclusive CCTV footage obtained by News24 shows that the police raid at the northern suburbs house happened at 03:04 on May 29.

While it has not been officially confirmed, it is understood that the raid is linked to investigations into the underworld, which have recently been shaken up after an effective coup was carried out by a newer faction fighting to take power from an older faction.

However, Booysen has said he is not sure why his home was targeted.

The raid at his house has become the focus of a pending legal matter, as Booysen is intent on pushing ahead with a civil claim against the police. He said officers traumatised his daughters and grandchildren by pointing machine guns at them.

"It was me and my daughters. Why did they have to come with machine guns?" he asked when talking to News24.

Booysen also said that officers had arrived without number plates on their vehicles and without names tags on their uniforms.

The officers, he said, had seized R137 000 in cash during the raid.

They had since returned the money to Booysen.

Some video footage of the raid has been obtained by News24.

Armoured vehicle

The inside of Booysen's home is not visible in this footage.

At 03:04 that morning, a nyala, with a flashing police light top, can be seen moving toward Booysen's home.

A second vehicle is behind it.

The nyala is driven across the street, onto the pavement and onto the property, as more vehicles arrive.

An officer, with an apparent firearm, is stationed at an open door of the nyala.

This armoured vehicle appears to hit into something, but what it apparently hits cannot be seen from the one camera angle.

More vehicles arrive and officers climb out of the nyala, which is then reversed into the street and positioned so that it no longer faces the house.

Another camera shows a close-up of the nyala ramming into something with such force that it moves back a little on impact.

Automatic rifles

A camera inside the garage, in which three large vehicles are parked, shows the garage door being forced in.

It does not fall into the garage as one of the parked cars prevents this, but it tilts inward.

The flash of the light on top of the nyala is visible.

Police officers then squeeze through at the sides of the door.

Carrying torches and automatic rifles, which they aim in front of them, the officers move quickly, momentarily ducking behind two pillars.

At least 12 officers are seen making their way into the home.

Later, at 03:16, about six officers leave the home and walk toward the nyala.

Police refused to confirm the raid.

They also did not provide any details.

Gang affiliations

Police spokesperson Captain Frederick van Wyk last week said: "The identities of people under police investigation cannot be disclosed and, therefore, this office will not be in a position to offer you a confirmation of an investigation or operational measure until the matter has been heard in a court of law."

In May, Booysen was wounded in a shooting as tensions in the underworld over the volatile nightclub security industry intensified.

He was wounded in the neck and shoulder.

Sources said he had been on his way to visit another man, who was also shot, in the Cravenby area.

Four years ago, Booysen was named as head of the Sexy Boys gang during a court case.

He was also named as a suspect in the 2011 murder of underworld kingpin Cyril Beeka.

But nothing ever came of this.

Booysen has worked with former bouncer boss Andre Naudé and controversial businessman Mark Lifman.

A new grouping, said to be under the leadership of businessman Nafiz Modack, is said to be effectively hijacking the control of nightclub security from an older, more established faction.

The takeover has resulted in at least three people being wounded in shootings in popular Cape Town establishments.

In May, a woman was wounded in a popular Loop Street nightclub and, on April 17, two men were wounded in a shooting in Café Caprice in Camps Bay.

Several murders also appear to be linked to the takeover.


                           
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