Two separate police operations in the iLembe District have led to the arrest of three people on charges of drug possession and illegal firearms.

According to iLembe police communications officer Priya Nunkumar, the arrests were made during targeted crime prevention operations in Sundumbili and Ndwedwe last week.

In Sundumbili, a 24-year-old man was arrested on Thursday after police on patrol in the Bhidla section became suspicious of his behaviour. A search revealed 380 red and white whoonga capsules in his possession.

He was arrested and charged with possession of drugs and is expected to appear in the Nyoni Magistrate’s Court.

In a separate operation on Sunday, Ndwedwe police arrested two men found in possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

The first man, aged 52, was stopped and searched in the Gawula area, where police recovered a .38 special revolver. He was unable to produce a valid firearm licence and was arrested.

Later, at a roadblock on the P100 main road in Mavela, police stopped a 47-year-old man. A search of his vehicle uncovered a 9mm CZ pistol with one live round of ammunition.

Nunkumar said the recovered firearms will undergo ballistic testing to determine whether they may have been used in criminal activities.