An intelligence-driven operation in the Msinga area in the early hours of yesterday morning (Tuesday) led to the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of six firearms, as well as 483 live rounds of ammunition.
This was a joint operation between Pietermaritzburg Public Order Police, Msinga Visible Policing and Greytown Crime Intelligence.
A 41-year-old female was arrested in the Phakwe area after she was found with two .303 rifles at her residence.
Police then went to the Mkhuphula area, where an AK-47 rifle with two live rounds of ammunition was found and a 20-year-old male was arrested. In the KwaNdaye area, a revolver, .303 rifle, .308 rifle and 483 live rounds of ammunition were found abandoned.
Both suspects were detained at Msinga police station and were charged for possession of unlicensed firearms. They appeared in the Msinga Magistrate’s Court on today. All the recovered firearms will be sent for ballistic examinations to establish if they were used in the commission of any crimes.
KZN Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant Mmamonnye Ngobeni said, “We will continue with operations of this nature under the banner of Operation Fiyela so we can address the proliferation of firearms and make this province a safer place for our citizens. We will also ensure that those arrested are profiled to see if they can be linked to other cases of serious crime we are investigating.”
