Midrand police made a successful arrest yesterday after they were alerted by a pawn shop in Midrand about a man possessing an unlicensed firearm.
Manager of Pawn and Salvage on Old Pretoria Road Rudi Coetzee said, “At around 11am [yesterday] a client entered our store and viewed a pellet rifle we have on sale. He told me that he has a similar one that he wants to sell. I told him he could bring it in to the store. He left and returned around 12noon with a rifle wrapped in a black plastic bag.”
“On opening and handing the rifle to me, I noticed that it was not a pellet rifle but more a hunting type rifle with a scope and silencer fitted,” said Coetzee.
Coetzee advised the man that it was a real gun and asked him for his licence. “He told me that he doesn’t have a licence as a friend had given it to him to sell. I advised him that I have to call it in as it may be a stolen or might have been used in a crime. He agreed and stood by as I took a photo of the rifle and its serial number and posted it on the Midrand Crime Prevention WhatsApp page and asked for assistance.”
One of the people on the page advised Coetzee to contact Captain Chetty from the Midrand police, who arrived soon to attend to the matter.
Spokesperson for the Midrand police Sergeant Matome Tlamela confirmed the incident. “The manager alerted police who arrived and waited for the suspect in the store. When the suspect returned, he fell into the trap and was arrested,” said Tlamela.
The police confirmed that the firearm was a stolen Musgrave rifle. “The rifle was checked and reported stolen at Villa Nora in November last year,” added Tlamela.
