Police seize firearms and ammunition
A deployment of police officers from POP units in Newcastle, Durban, Port Shepstone and Pietermaritzburg were working in the Winterton area on Friday, together with officers from Ladysmith Crime Intelligence
From Friday till Sunday, police in the Uthukela Cluster worked around the clock to rid the area of firearms and ammunition.
A deployment of police officers from POP units in Newcastle, Durban, Port Shepstone and Pietermaritzburg were working in the Winterton area on Friday, together with officers from Ladysmith Crime Intelligence. During the operation, the eMaswazini area was targeted and police seized four abandoned firearms. Altogether, 41 rounds of ammunition were seized.
The operation then moved to the Stulwane area of Bergville, where a 9mm pistol was seized, along with 27 rounds of ammunition of various calibres. Thereafter, the officers seized a 9mm pistol in the Amangwe area. The suspects fled prior to police arriving.
On Sunday, the group then targeted the Bergville area and seized five firearms. The find included a Vector semi-automatic rifle, a 12-bore shotgun, a .308 Lee Enfield rifle, a 9mm Luger pistol and a 357 Magnum revolver. The firearms were found abandoned at a homestead, along with 1263 rounds of ammunition of various calibres.
Officers from police stations in the Uthukela Cluster added to the success.
Ezakheni SAPS arrested a 20-year-old suspect on Friday in St Chad’s after receiving a tip-off about a suspicious-looking vehicle. A search of the vehicle yielded an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. On Saturday, Weenen SAPS arrested a 15-year-old youth for possession of an unlicensed firearm. The police officers were following up on information about a theft when they spotted the teenager carrying the firearm. Both suspects are set to appear today (Monday) in the Ezakheni Magistrate’s Court and Weenen Magistrate’s Court respectively.
Over the weekend, a total of 13 firearms and 1338 rounds of ammunition were seized.
