Cape Town - Crime-combating operations in the North West have yielded success as police recovered 28 firearms from Saturday until Wednesday.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Adéle Myburgh said police were making inroads in removing illegal firearms from the streets.
In one of the cases, in Kanana, near Orkney, a 38-year-old man was arrested after he was found to be in possession of two firearms.
The arrest came after information was received about a man who was due to meet potential buyers for the illegal firearms.
“Consequently, a crime intelligence-driven operation was executed by three off-duty Kanana Crime Prevention members who spotted a suspicious male at Hardy Street, carrying a wrapped parcel.
“The man was searched and arrested after being found in possession of a hunting rifle, a shotgun as well as 109 different pieces of ammunition.
“Further investigation into the matter revealed that one of the firearms is linked to a burglary and theft committed at Kwa Msani, KwaZulu-Natal, in 2011.
“The suspect appeared in the Orkney Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, March 22, 2023,” Myburgh said.
In a separate incident, a 37-year-old man was arrested in the Bojanala sub-district 1 on Saturday at about 8pm.
The man was arrested after police followed up a complaint about a man who was in possession of a firearm in Thetele Section, Mothotlung outside Brits.
On Sunday, members of the police’s K9 unit acted on the tip-off and arrested a 39-year-old man for pointing a firearm and for the unlawful possession of a firearm.
“It is alleged that the suspect and the victim were dining at a friend's residence in Luka village on Friday night, March 17, 2023, when they had an argument. Allegedly, one of the men pulled out a firearm and pointed it at the victim.
“Bystanders managed to intervene and calm the situation. The suspect appeared in the Bafokeng Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, March 22, 2023,” Myburgh said.
North West Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Sello Kwena commended police in the province for disarming ruthless criminals who used firearms to terrorise members of the community through the commission of serious and violent crimes.
Kwena said heightened visibility and crime-combating operations would continue in order to ensure those who had no regard for the law were arrested.
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