Gauteng cops nab over 20 suspects, seize 12 firearms linked to various crimes
The suspects were expected to appear in various magistrates' courts on Monday.
The police amendment bill has been criticised for centralising power. Picture for illustration: Ashraf Hendricks / GroundUp
In the past 24 hours, Gauteng police arrested over 20 suspects and seized 12 firearms linked to serious and violent crimes, it said in a statement on Saturday.
Police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele said in the statement that they had seized 10 pistols and two revolvers.
“Suspects have been linked to serious and violent crimes which include murder, house robbery, hijacking, housebreaking, possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition as well as possession of suspected stolen properties,” Makhubele added.
Six pistols were recovered after a shooting in Mamelodi – this followed information received through crime intelligence.
The information indicated that armed suspects had been shooting in a hostel on 30 August.
“Police officers from Ekurhuleni TRT and members from Trio task team went to the house where suspects were hiding.
“During the search, three unlicensed firearms were seized and seven suspects arrested and another man found in possession of [an] unlicensed firearm during the operation; [and] other two seized during stop and searches in Mamelodi,” Makhubele said.
Then, on Friday, police officers from the Johannesburg Flying Squad received information from crime intelligence that the occupants of an Uber taxi was about to commit a robbery in Cleveland.
“Operation was conducted in the area, the Uber taxi was spotted and stopped. During the search, two unlicensed firearms were recovered and three suspects arrested for possession of unlicensed firearms,” Makhubele said.
Two more firearms were recovered, this time in the New Canada informal settlement, where four suspects were arrested for possession of unlicensed firearms and robbery linked to another spate of violent crimes in Florida.
In Ekhurhuleni on Friday, while conducting a stop and search operation, police arrested four suspects found in possession of unlicensed firearms.
Gauteng provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela commended his officers’ work and urged the community to continue to work with the police to fight crime by calling the Crime Stop number 08600 10111 or by giving a tip-off on the MySAPS app.
The suspects were expected to appear in various magistrates’ courts on Monday, Makhubele said.
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