KwaZulu-Natal Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Bheki Langa praised various clusters and units for the good work they do during their operations. For the past week, a number of firearms and ammunition were recovered in various parts of the province. This shows that our officers have a passion and dedicated in their work in making our province a safe place to be. We will continue with such operations as it yielded positive results. All recovered firearms will be sent for ballistic tests to establish if they were used in any other crimes in the country, he said.

Last night,  Pietermaritzburg Public Order Police Task Team assisted by Pietermaritzburg North Crime Intelligence conducted an intelligence-driven- in the Dalton area tracing unlicensed firearms and ammunition. During the operation, they managed to seized six unlicensed firearms including 2x R5 rifle, 9mm pistols, 2×303 rifles and ,38 special revolver and a total of 44 live ammunition. Three suspects aged between 19 and 24 years were arrested for these firearms and one of them was found with three firearms namely R5 rifle, 303 rifle and 9mm pistol. All arrested suspects will appear today in the New Hanover Magistrate’s Court for possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

In another operation, yesterday morning,  members from UThukela Cluster Intervention Team conducted an operation in the Nhlanhleni, Pomeroy area. The officers were in the Ndanyana area on an Intelligence driven operation. The officers swooped on two houses. At the first premises they surprised and arrested a 33 year old suspect. The suspect was found in possession of a pump action shotgun and five rounds of ammunition.

At the second premises they arrested a 19 year old suspect, whom they found in possession of a 303 rifle and eight rounds of ammunition, a pump action shotgun with five rounds of ammunition a 9mm pistol, two magazines with 17 rounds of ammunition. Both the suspects are due to appear in the Nhlanhleni Magistrate’s Court today. They are facing charges of being in possession of illegal firearms. All the firearms will be subject to ballistic testing.