Eight suspects who were arrested on charges of illegal possession of ammunition and firearms during two separate incidents on the weekend are expected to appear in the Hoedspruit and Lephalale magistrate’s courts this week.
According to Maphure Manamela of the Provincial Police Communications Centre an operation was launched after Police received information related to the grenade and five suspects travelling from Nkowankowa towards Hoedspruit on Friday. The vehicle was intercepted and searched just outside Hoedspruit and Police found a hand grenade hidden in the vehicle.
The vehicle was also confiscated and Police are still in the process of determining the origin of the grenade. Police believe that the suspects might be part of a bigger syndicate involved in the business robberies in the area, according to Manamela.
Meanwhile, Police arrested three suspects only this time at Dorset outside Lephalale later the same evening.
Manamela indicated that members of the Provincial Stock Theft Unit joined members of a security company to follow up on a suspicious vehicle in the area. The vehicle was traced at around 21:45 and pulled off the road.
Police found a high calibre hunting rifle, six rounds of live ammunition, a pair of gloves, an overall, an axe and three knives. It is suspected that the culprits were route to poach rhinos in the area. The suspects are aged between 32 and 42.
Story: RC Myburgh
>>rc.observer@gmail.com
