Recent operations conducted by police officers from the Ladysmith Tactical Response Team (TRT), along with Public Order Police (POP) from Pietermaritzburg and Port Shepstone, resulted in the arrest of five men aged between 18 and 50 and the recovery of five pistols with a total of 39 rounds of ammunition.
A stolen vehicle was also recovered.
The intelligence-driven operations were aimed at eradicating the proliferation of illegal firearms and curbing criminal activities in the Nhlanhleni, Loskop, Ezakheni and Besters areas.
The arrested men appeared in different magistrate’s courts on Friday (July 24).
A 39-year-old man was arrested at Mangweni Reserve after he was found with a pistol and 12 rounds of ammunition in his possession. The suspect was taken to Nhlanhleni SAPS for detention and he appeared in the Msinga Magistrate’s Court for illegal possession of a firearm.
Police then proceeded to Besters, where a 32-year-old man was found with two pistols and 11 rounds of ammunition in his possession. He was charged and appeared in the Ladysmith Magistrate’s Court.
Two men aged 24 and 50 were arrested at Mhlumayo Reserve for possession of an illegal firearm and possession of suspected stolen property. The 24-year-old man was arrested after he was found driving a vehicle on the Umhlumayo main road. When police searched the vehicle, they discovered that it had been stolen in Malvern, Durban, in April this year.
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The 50-year-old man was arrested for possession of a pistol with 11 rounds of ammunition. They both appeared in the Ezakheni Magistrate’s Court.
In Loskop, police approached an 18-year-old man at Engonyameni Reserve, who was found with a revolver loaded with five rounds of ammunition. He was immediately arrested and taken to Amangwe police station. He appeared in the Estcourt Magistrate’s Court.
All the recovered firearms will be subjected to ballistic testing and the vehicle was impounded for further investigation.
The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Jula, commended the police officers for their determination to remove illegal firearms in the province.
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