A male and female suspect were recently arrested by Pretoria Central police for possession of an unlicensed firearm, drugs and stolen property.
Following a tip-off, police tracked down the man (19) to his residence in Pretoria Central, after community members alerted police regarding his criminal activities in and around Marabastad.
On August 13, Captain Nthuteng Mogotsi, the immediate commander of the Crime Prevention Unit team, quickly assembled his members to trace the suspect.
They then went to the suspect’s location, which had been given, located at the abandoned Schubart Park building on the sixth floor, on the corner of Madiba (previously Vermeulen) and Kgosi Mampuru streets, at around 10:30.
“On arrival on the scene, the team tactically moved to the identified spot, and they found a male who met the given description with his female counterpart (28) on the sixth floor.”
The team searched him and found a hidden firearm with serial numbers wiped out, with two magazines and one live round. Officers also found a hidden toy gun under the mattress.
“[A] further search led to the discovery of drugs hidden in the woman’s possession,” said spokesperson Constable Thabang Nkhumise.
This led to an immediate arrest of the couple, and they were taken to the station for detention, where the man was charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm and suspected stolen property. The woman was charged with possession of drugs.
Station commander Brigadier Hlengane Gibin Mashaba applauded the team for the arrest and urged community members to keep reporting criminal activity in the area.
“This shows that when the members and community are united and leading with one goal, it can fight and eliminate crime. I want to thank the whistle blowers for their bravery and for entrusting the SAPS with tracing and making a successful arrest,” Mashaba said.
The pair will appear at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court pending further ballistic investigation.
For any information or tip-off, the community is urged to come forth and report to the police:
– Crime Stop line 08600 10111,
– dial 112 on any network provider and then follow the prompts, or
– directly dial the station at 012 353 5001.
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