In a bid to rid the streets of illegal firearms, an integrated takedown operation led to the seizure of four rifles, four 9mm pistols and 273 rounds of ammunition in the early hours of Thursday in Gugulethu, Cape Town.
A 37-year-old man was subsequently arrested in the operation led by the provincial detectives’ Serious and Violent Crime Investigations Unit.
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According to police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie, the unit members obtained and executed a search warrant on a premises situated in NY5 Gugulethu, where the suspect was found.
‘A further search resulted in the discovery of four rifles with 123 rounds of ammunition and four 99mm pistols with 150 rounds of ammunition,’ said Pojie.
‘The suspect was unable to provide a valid licence for the possession thereof and was subsequently arrested on charges related to the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.’
The suspect is expected to appear in the Athlone Magistrates’ Court once charged.
Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile commended the team for their efforts in freeing the streets of the Western Cape ‘from the scourge of firearms which threaten the safety of its inhabitants and furthermore being used in the commission of serious and violent crime such as murders, robberies and aggravated robbery’.
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