WESTERN CAPE: The fight against the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition yielded positive results on Thursday 2023-12-07 when members attached to Maitland Flying Squad and Mfuleni Crime Prevention Unit arrested three men aged between 26 and 35 on charges relating to the unlawful possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition on separate incidents.
Flying Squad members were busy with patrols in Hanover Park when they noticed three suspicious looking men running away upon spotting the police patrol vehicle. The members gave chase and caught one of the suspects who are alleged to be a wanted suspect in a case of pointing of a firearm. As they continued searching the area they apprehended the second suspect who ran away from them earlier. They searched him and the place he was hiding upon which they seized a 9mm pistol’ of which the serial number was removed, with fourteen 9 mm rounds of ammunition. The two suspects were arrested and detained at Philippi SAPS on cases of possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition as well as pointing of firearm.
In an unrelated incident, members attached to Mfuleni Crime Prevention Unit were busy with crime prevention patrols when they noticed a suspicious vehicle in Mzabalazo Crescent. They stopped and searched the vehicle as well as the occupant. They found and confiscated a firearm with 54 x 9mm rounds of ammunition underneath the driver’s seat. The suspect was subsequently arrested on the mentioned charges.
The suspects are due to appear in the Athlone Magistrates’ Court on Monday 11 December 2023.