Police efforts and determination to combat serious and violent crimes continue to bear fruit. This weekend four firearms, an imitation firearm and various rounds of ammunition were recovered and eight suspects arrested in Gugulethu, Manenberg and Elsies River.
On the night of 13 June 2020, at 21:30, members attached to the Cluster Crime Prevention Unit recovered an illegal firearm while attending to a shooting incident in Letaba Road in Manenberg. The members came under attack while they were attending to the random shootings. Then the members reacted on an attack on them and in the process wounded one suspect who was found in possession of a CZ pistol which was reported stolen in January 2020 in Mitchells Plain.
The same team also recovered an imitation firearm when they acted on a tip-off they received at Clarke Estate in Elsies River.
Another firearm was recovered by Manenberg Crime Prevention Unit after they received information about a residence where drugs are sold. At the residence police conducted a search and recovered a 9mm pistol with 15 rounds of ammunition hidden in a pillow. The firearm was reported stolen in September 2019 in Samora Machel. Three suspects aged 27, 34 and 44 were arrested.
Two other firearms were recovered in the Gugulethu area. One firearm, a CZ 75 with seven rounds of ammunition was recovered in possession of a suspect in Khiki in Gugulethu. The members were on patrols when they were stopped by a group pf community members informing them about a group of youngsters who were robbing people. While approaching the area police noticed a suspect running away they then chased him and upon searching him they found an illegal firearm. The 28-year-old was arrested.
A firearm was recovered hidden at a spaza shop on Friday in Gugulethu. This was after a spaza shop owner reported that he was chased away from his Spaza shop by other spaza shop owners threatening with a firearm. Police attended to the complaint and went to the suspect’s spaza shop and during a search recovered the firearm. Two suspects were also arrested.
The suspects aged between 21 and 44 are expected to appear in Athlone Magistrate Court for the possession of illegal and stolen firearms, attack on police as well as illegal possession of ammunition on Monday, 15 June 2020.
The members were applauded for their diligence and efforts in ensuring that they remove illegal firearms from the streets.
South Africa Today – South Africa News
