For the past two months, more than 75 firearms were found in Greytown Cluster including Muden, Msinga and Kranskop areas. Members of National Intervention Unit, Task Force, Crime Intelligence, Public Order Police and Greytown police worked tirelessly raiding homes and recovering these firearms. More than 35 suspects had been arrested and appeared in various magistrates’ courts.
The SAPS has embarked on multidisciplinary operations under the banner of Operation Fiyela. Operations have been launched across the province with hundreds of arrests for various offences taking place.
These multi-disciplinary operations which include various SAPS disciplines, SANDF, Department of Home Affairs and Metro Police aims to clean up our streets of criminal elements and make our neighbourhoods safer.
On Friday morning the National Intervention Unit members deployed in the Greytown area were conducting investigations into illegal firearms which led them to a homestead in the area. The homestead was secured and searched by police officers. A total of 24 firearms were recovered at the homestead. 20 of these firearms were unlicensed and included AK47 rifles, 303 rifles, R1 rifles and 9mm pistols. A total of 28 suspects were arrested and will be charged for possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition. They will appear in the Greytown Magistrates Court on Monday, 11 May 2015 for possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
On 3 May the Pietermaritzburg Public Order Police recovered a total of 15 unlicensed firearms in the same area. Altogether more than 75 firearms were recovered in various operations in the Greytown/Muden area and a total of 35 suspects have been arrested. Five Danisa family members were attacked and shot in Dannhauser area near Newcastle whilst on their way to Johannesburg. Four of them were critically injured and one died at the scene. One Zulu family member was arrested. On Saturday, 2 May Zulu family members were attacked in their Muden home. One family member was fatally shot and two licensed firearms were taken during the attack. Police are investigating the link between the two incidents.
“These operations are conducted under the banner of Operation Fiyela and is part of our strategy to secure various communities across the province that are plagued by unrest and crime. Police in KwaZulu-Natal have conducted numerous operations focused at removing illegal firearms and we have had great successes. These firearms would have been used to rob and maim innocent members of the community had police not removed them from our streets,” said the Provincial Commissioner.
