BEREA police officers arrested a suspect who was in possession of a firearm on Friday night.
According to Captain PN Naidoo, Berea SAPS communications officer, at around 7pm Berea’s crime prevention team under Captain Kevin Stephen was conducting routine stop and searches while patrolling along Vause Road when they noticed three suspicious men walking along the road looking into vehicles.
The officers stopped and searched the men. Police discovered a 9mm firearm on one of the men. “The officers noticed the serial number had been filed off the firearm. All three suspects were arrested and taken to Berea SAPS, where one was charged for unlawfully being in possession of a firearm and ammunition,” he explained.
A police source told Berea Mail the three are suspected to be involved in cases of hijacking and house robberies in the Berea and Umbilo areas.
Naidoo made an appeal to the public to be aware of their neighbours and people working in their immediate vicinity. “Report all other suspicious persons and vehicles to the police so that criminals like these can be taken off the streets. Criminals are watching and waiting for opportunities to commit crimes, but by being alert and noticing these suspicious characters and reporting them to the police, these people can be arrested if they are in possession of weapons and implements used for committing crimes,” he advised. Naidoo also emphasized while alerting others in the community to suspicious criminals through social media was good, it was important to ensure police are informed.
