NEARLY 1,000 live rounds of ammunition and four rifles were found during a raid on a vessel coming into Durban Harbour on Thursday, 12 November.
Durban Harbour police officers were tipped-off about a vessel carrying guns into the harbour, without police escort in breach of the Firearms Control Act and the guidelines for the operational procedures at all ports, signed by the SAPS national commissioner.
Maydon Wharf detectives and members of vessel profiling joined forces with State Security Agency members and boarded the vessel to search for the guns. Four FN .308 rifles and 955 live rounds were found and the skipper and a crew member were arrested for contravening the Firearms Control Act.
“The proliferation of illegal firearms in this province is of great concern to us and we can’t allow firearms to enter our port illegally. Without checks and balances, these firearms could end up on our streets,” said KZN police commissioner Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni.