| Trio Crimes Task Team successes | |
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| Date Published: | 2017/06/22 |
| Description Details: | |
Media Statement from North West Media Centre Corporate Communication South African Police Service As part of reduction of trio and other serious crimes as well as illegal proliferation of firearms, police recovered 18 firearms between Sunday, 28 May and Tuesday, 21 June 2017 at various parts of the province. The firearms and other goods were recovered during various day to day operations and operations conducted by Task Teams established to address trio crimes in Mahikeng, Brits, Klerksdorp and Rustenburg. In Mahikeng, police in Lomanyaneng arrested two minors on Monday, 19 June 2017 for illegal possession of firearm. The pair was placed under the custody of their parents while being assessed by social workers. The minors allegedly stole a firearm during house breaking committed in March 2016 in Lomanyaneng. In another unrelated case in Lomanyaneng, a 21-year-old suspect was apprehend for illegal possession of firearm. The suspect allegedly stole a firearm from his father’s safe earlier this month in Dobsonville, Gauteng Province where he has been handed for court appearance. In another unrelated incident and following the business robbery at a security company premises last month in Montshiwa wherein more than ten firearms were robbed, the police managed recover five of them. The initial two firearms were found hidden in a yard in Phola village last month while three were found in possession of two males in Botswana last week. One of the suspects is a former employee of the security company. In Wolmaransstad, police arrested six suspects and confiscated three firearms on Tuesday, 20 June 2017 at one of the farms in Wolmaransstad. The suspects, facing charges of conspiracy to commit an offence and illegal possession of firearms were arrested through collaborative effort between the farmers and the police. Preliminary investigation has revealed that a serial of one of the firearms was filed off, while the other two belonged to the suspects including a police official working at Gauteng Province. They are due to appear in court today, 22 June 2017. In Rustenburg, police managed to recover eight firearms and arrested 14 suspects for various offences. The arrested suspects include two males that were arrested for car-hijacking on Sunday, 18 June 2017. During the arrest, police found a firearm belonging to the suspects inside the hijacked vehicle. The suspects appeared in the Bafokeng Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 20 June 2017 and were remanded in custody until Monday, 26 June 2017. The other seven firearms were recovered from suspects on different cases reported within the Rustenburg Cluster. Still in Rustenburg, an intelligence driven operation by Rustenburg Flying Squad resulted in the arrest of two suspects and recovery of goods worth thousands in Zinniaville outside Rustenburg on Tuesday, 20 June 2017. It is alleged police found at the suspects’ places, goods that were suspected to have been stolen consisting mainly of building materials and ceramic tiles with estimated value of R200 000, 00. The suspects are expected to appear in Bafokeng Magistrates’ Court today, 22 June 2017 for possession of suspected stolen property. Preliminary investigation has shown that the goods were stolen in Benoni, Gauteng Province earlier this month. The North West Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane commended the members for their diligence that led to the arrest of the suspects and recovery of the firearms. She said further that the recoveries will definitely contribute towards reduction of trio and other serious crimes in the province and requested members of the community to work together with the police and come forward with information relating to trio crimes. Media contact: Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone – 082 496 9642
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