Badfontein farmer faces unlicensed firearm charges
Police recovered a hunting rifle, a revolver, and over 400 rounds of ammunition during a raid on a Klipspruit property.
A 48-year-old farmer, Andriaan Burger, was remanded in custody when he appeared in the Mashishing Magistrate’s Court on August 5.
Burger faces charges of unlawful possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
He was arrested yesterday during an intelligence-driven operation conducted by members of the Lydenburg K9 and Crime Intelligence Gathering units.
“The arrest followed information received by police regarding a man allegedly in possession of unlicensed firearms at Klipspruit in Badfontein area. Acting on the information, members obtained a search and seizure warrant from the Mashishing Magistrate’s Court before proceeding to the identified premises,” confirmed Mpumalanga SAPS spokesperson Captain Mpho Nonyane-Mpe.
Nonyane-Mpe said police recovered a .22 hunting rifle with 416 rounds of live ammunition and a .38 Special revolver with 51 rounds of live ammunition during the execution of the warrant.
The suspect failed to produce valid firearm licences for the weapons and was immediately arrested.
Following his appearance, Burger was remanded in custody. The case was postponed to August 11 for further court proceedings.
Mpumalanga SAPS commended the team for their dedication and professionalism, adding that intelligence-driven operations remain a critical tool in removing illegal firearms from communities.
