One suicide vest found among arms in Randburg

The entire stash has been taken by forensics team to Pretoria for documentation and to be examined.

Different types of plastic explosives and other items. Photo: Supplied.

Police have recovered a small arsenal in a storage site on Bram Fischer Drive near Dover Street in Randburg CBD.

They also uncovered seven rifles, 15 pistols, 11 revolvers and four hand grenades in Dover Street storage site on Monday, Randburg Sun reported.

Gauteng Police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said: “The entire stash has been taken by our forensics team to Pretoria for documentation and to be examined.”He could not confirm how old the items recovered are but only that some looked very old and some appeared to be more recent.

“We are currently in the process of interviewing the old owner of the building as well as people who live in the near vicinity.”

Firearms:
R5 x 1
AK47 x 7
Uzi x 1
Revolver x 12
M16 x 1
Rifle Magazines x 31
Pistol Magazines x 31

A small arsenal is uncovered at a Randburg storage Site. Photo: Supplied.

Bombs and Explosives:
10 Kg of Plastic Explosives
60 x Mortar Rockets
6 x M26 Hand grenades
3 x Detonators
1 x Suicide Vests

The suicide vest according to Masondo looks very old and could not confirm if it was intended to be used in a terror attack.

Hand grenades wrapped in protective plastic. Photo: Supplied.

Live Rounds:
9mm x 1000
AK 47 x 3000
R5 x 500
M16 x 200

Different types of plastic explosives and other items. Photo: Supplied.

“We were first alerted to the building by construction workers who noticed a suspicious bag,” said Masondo.

Inside the bag were about 60 mortar bombs.

A K9 unit and bomb squad were called to search the building.

“We went into the basement, and that’s when we found [the other weapons].”

Police’s forensic team were still on scene last night counting the weapons and ammunition.

Reports initially emerged of a bomb scare.

It has since come to light that the reason for the major police presence was a firearm and old explosive material recovery operation in an unused storage site on Dover Street.

– Caxton News Service