The South African Police Service arrested five suspects in a pre-dawn intelligence-driven raid on 23 July at a Kliprivier house. According to a statement released by the police, an intelligence team was following leads relating to a case involving an Indian national who was kidnapped earlier in July. This resulted in the police arresting several men. Police also recovered foreign military uniform, several firearms including rifles and pistols, including some that matched those used in the heinous New Year’s Day shootings in Melville and Newtown. National Police Commissioner General Khehla Sitole explained, “Some of them [the firearms] we have identified in videos of other crimes like the New Year’s Day attacks, as well as cases around KZN where there has been extremism and kidnapping.”
The Northcliff Melville Times had reported on 1 January that the shooting took place just before 1am on the corner of 2nd Avenue and 7th street in Melville. Of the eight total victims of the shooting, two females were certified dead by the paramedics while the other six received medical treatment. Some long guns including two AK-47 rifles, one Uzzi submachine gun and two pump-action shotguns were also found at the Kliprivier property. The police will now be investigating the possibility of this group being linked to the New Year’s Day drive-by shootings. Of the five arrested men, two were of foreign nationality and police stated, ‘We further discovered that there is a transnational link to the crimes that are taking place here.’ During his visit to the arrest scene, the National Commissioner praised the team for their breakthrough but reminded them that the job isn’t over yet. He expressed, “We must continue with our efforts to trace and arrest the owner of the house and anybody else linked to this group, but more importantly we must find and reunite the kidnapped victim safely with his family.” According to the police, the owner of the house is currently on the run while the kidnapped victim has not yet been found. Three of these men are likely to be charged with kidnapping while the other two, may possibly be charged for unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
