UPDATE: JULY 6
TWO cleaners employed at the Umkomaas SAPS are believed to be the thieves the SAPS were looking for and have been taken into custody.
A third person has also been arrested in connection to the theft of nine police issue firearms from the station.
Three of the firearms were recovered towards the end of May during an intelligence driven operation.
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An internal investigation is underway to determine how access to the armory was gained and how the thieves got out without being seen.
After an initial appearance in the Scottburgh Magistrate’s Court, the suspects were released on bail of R1 000.
They are expected back in court on August 31.
A further investigation has been launched to determine if there is a possible ‘bad apple’ among the staff at the station.
UPDATE:
THREE of the nine stolen firearms have been recovered during the early morning hours of May 21 in an intelligence driven operation.
Police arrested six various suspects in Isipingo and Umkomaas and recovered three of the firearms which were stolen from the Umkomaas police station earlier month in May.
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The suspects are aged between 28 and 50 and will be appearing in the Scottburgh Magistrate’s Court soon.
The KwaZulu-Natal Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Bheki Langa praised police officers from Crime Intelligence, Public Order Policing and the Provincial Task Team Corruption Unit for their hard work.
ORIGINAL STORY:
UMKOMAAS Police Station is yet again under the spotlight after nine firearms disappeared earlier in May.
This was not the first time things have vanished under mysterious circumstances.
In December 2012 six guns and 12 cellphones were stolen from the exhibits room at the station.
A confidential source told the Mail at the time that, in order to access the exhibits room, three gates had to be opened and that it was impossible for these gates to be out of the sight of people in the charge office.
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And in December 2016 several laptops were stolen from the station.
A probe has now been launched into the latest incident and a provincial task team has been assigned to investigate the disappearance of the firearms.
A case of theft was registered at the Umkomaas SAPS on May 11.
Suspecting that this latest incident was an “inside job as there was no break in,” IFP KwaZulu-Natal provincial spokesman on Community Safety, Blessed Gwala, has demanded that the head of the station be held accountable and a thorough investigation be conducted.
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“It must be ascertained whether there are other staff members who have access to the room or safe where the firearms are stored and if there are spare keys. This issue deserves urgent attention and the culprits must be brought to book because it is obvious that someone is in cahoots with criminals,” said Mr Gwala, who also called for a full audit of firearms allocated to stations throughout KZN.
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