Four men found with illegal weapons in separate incidents
Three men were arrested in Barberton on Saturday October 22 and, in a separate incident, a man was arrested in Masoyi on Sunday October 23.
The police recently uncovered a stash of deadly weapons in both Barberton and Masoyi in intelligence-driven operations by members of Tactical Response Team and the National Intervention Unit.
A provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Donald Mdhluli, said in a statement that three suspects were arrested in Barberton on Saturday October 22 and in a separate operation in Masoyi the following day, October 23, one suspect was taken into custody.
Mdhluli said in the first incident, the police spotted a blue VW Polo Classic that looked suspicious driving in Barberton.
“After stopping it, a search was conducted. They [police] found a firearm with live rounds of ammunition,” said Mdhluli.
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He said the suspects reportedly could not tell the police where firearm and ammunition had come from, and the three were immediately arrested for allegedly being in possession of prohibited firearm and ammunition. The vehicle was confiscated for further investigation.
The three suspects, Dinani Zulu (29), Bongani Mlambo (33) and Mthokozisi Magwaza (34), appeared in the Barberton Magistrate’s Court on Monday October 24.
Zulu and Mlambo were granted bail, but Magwaza was denied bail. It was indicated during the court appearance that he has an outstanding case of possession of an unlicensed firearm at Elukwatini of which he is expected to appear in the Eerstehoek Magistrate’s Court on November 15.The case against the three suspects was postponed to November 22.
In Masoyi on Sunday, October 23, Mdhluli said the police received information about a man allegedly driving a white Corsa bakkie in possession of explosives.
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“They spotted the vehicle, stopped and searched it. They reportedly found an R1 assault rifle with a number of live ammunition rounds, a 3.8 handgun, also with live ammunition, and an R5 assault rifle with live rounds as well.
“The police also found a .22 rifle with live ammunitions, as well as a detonator and one explosive gel inside the said car. Sabelo Peter Mdluli (44) was arrested and charged for possession of unlicenced firearms and for possession of unlicenced ammunition as well as for possession of explosives,” he said.
Mdluli appeared in the KaBokweni Magistrate’s Court on Monday, October 24. The case was postponed to November 1 for a formal bail application.
