Police in Gauteng, in partnership with other law enforcement agencies and partners, have arrested more than 260 suspects for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition so far this month.
More than 500 unlicensed firearms and 6,000 rounds of ammunition were recovered.
“These successes are as a result of the province’s multidisciplinary Safer Festive Season campaign, Operation O Kae Molao, routine crime prevention patrols, stop-and-searches and community tip-offs, police spokesperson Lt-Col Mavela Masondo said.
On Friday, police in Kliptown, Soweto, arrested a 25-year-old man for possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition after a routine crime prevention patrol in Pimville.
In another incident, on December 23, an off-duty member of Ekurhuleni flying squad arrested four suspects in Benoni and recovered an unlicensed firearm and ammunition found in their possession.
Masondo said the recovered firearms would be sent for ballistic testing to establish whether they were linked to serious crimes.
In other news – Two Zimbabweans arrested in Malawi for stealing 9 million Kwacha
Police in Blantyre are keeping in custody two Zimbabwean nationals and a South African man for allegedly breaking into motor vehicles and stealing over K9 million cash.
The Zimbabweans have been identified as Phillimon Taliwa, 50, and Orbert Nguluwe, 37, while the South African is Xolan Scosana, 46. Learn More