A large number of illegal vehicle registration documents and fraudulent matric certificates in a bust in Soshanguve – a Gauteng township north of Pretoria.

According to local police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo, police received a tip-off about a man who was in possession of unlicensed firearms and involved in illegal registration of vehicles.

“Police pounced on the house and found two unlicensed firearms, magazines, a large number of illegal vehicle registration documents, and fraudulent matric certificates.”

Masondo says police recovered two unlicensed firearms from the house of the suspect, who is believed to be involved in the registration of stolen and hijacked vehicles.

“The search for the suspect is underway.”

He adds several other firearms and ammunition were recovered in all the districts across the province.

“All the recovered firearms will be sent for ballistic analysis to determine whether they are linked to other crimes.”

Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni commends the police, other law enforcement agencies and the community of the province for ‘pulling together to remove the firearms that are in the wrong hands’.

“The recovery of these weapons will contribute to the reduction of crime in the province, as most of the violent crimes like business robberies and car hijackings are committed by suspects who are armed with unlicensed firearms,” explains Mthombeni.

The community is urged to continue to report criminal activities by calling the nearest police station or Crime Stop number on 08600 10111. Alternatively, leave an anonymous tip-off on the MySAPS app, that can be downloaded on any smartphone.