Police have seized two unlicensed firearms and ammunition in a successful stop-and-search operation, tackling the rising threat of illegal weapons in the community.
Temba Crime Prevention members arrested two men, aged 29 and 48, and recovered two unlicensed firearms and ammunition during a stop-and-search operation on Molefe Makinta Street, Stinkwater, North of Tshwane, on Monday around 10 pm.
Captain Johan van Dyk, spokesperson for the Tshwane District Police, said that officers were patrolling the Stinkwater area when they noticed a suspicious white Toyota Corolla parked on the roadside with four men inside. The officers made a tactical U-turn to approach the vehicle.
“Members were conducting patrols around Stinkwater when they come across a suspicious white Toyota Carolla on the side of the road with four men inside. They made a U-turn and tactically approached the vehicle. The suspects opened the doors, and two of them tried to run away, but the police managed to apprehend one of them.”
Van Dyk added that during the search, officers discovered a firearm on the driver and another on the suspect who attempted to flee. They also seized a signal jammer and number plates from inside the vehicle.
It was also established that the suspects were from Dannelton in Mpumalanga.
The firearms will be taken to the forensic laboratory for ballistic testing to determine if they were used in other crimes.
Van Dyk said the suspects would appear in the Moretele magistrate court soon.
Station Commander Brigadier Johannes Tau commended the officers for their dedication, praising them for not only halting the vehicle but also for their thorough stop-and-search efforts, which led to the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of firearms and ammunition.
The Star