Armed men nabbed on petrol station forecourt

TWO armed men en route to a petrol station on Solomon Mahlangu Drive were stopped in their tracks by alert Brighton Beach SAPS officers on Tuesday, 2 December.

As Constables Mlungisi Chiya and Busisiwe Malinga from the Brighton Beach SAPS crime prevention unit left the petrol station, they noticed the two men approaching. One of the men was acting strangely, so the officers pulled over to investigate.

Const Chiya found a 9mm parabellum pistol with seven rounds of ammunition on the man. When asked if he had a license and competency certificate, he said the gun belonged to his friend, the other man with him. His friend was also unable to prove ownership, so the duo were taken to Brighton Beach police station.

Further investigations showed neither were the lawful owners of the gun and they were charged for possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. Warrant Officer Gerhard Grobler, the chief investigating officer in the case, said he will continue to oppose bail applications for the two men until the lawful owner, who is 63-years-old, can be found.

Consts Chiya and Malinga are commended by Brighton Beach SAPS management for their vigilance, which led to the arrest of the two men and recovery of the gun and ammunition.

Police believe the men might have been on their way to rob the petrol station when they were stopped. The gun has been sent for ballistic testing to determine if it was used in any crimes.