POLOKWANE – A coordinated police operation has uncovered an illegal commission-of-oaths setup operating inside a business at Bendor Office Park, leading to the arrest of a 35-year-old business owner and the seizure of a prohibited firearm.

The search and seizure operation happened on Tuesday (November 18) after police received actionable intelligence indicating that the business was unlawfully administering oaths and certifying documents using a police-issued stamp belonging to the Westernburg SAPS.

Officers from the Provincial Tracking Team and the Provincial Investigation Unit obtained a warrant and raided the premises, where they found SAPS certification stamps believed to have been illegally used, along with numerous documents that had already been fraudulently certified.

A further search led to the discovery of a 9mm Norinco pistol and seven live rounds of ammunition.

Police later confirmed that the firearm is classified as prohibited and had previously been recorded as destroyed in official SAPS systems.

The business owner was traced and arrested later on Tuesday evening and appeared before the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court yesterday (November 20) on the following charges:

• Possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition
• Contravention of the South African Police Service Act 68 of 1995(impersonating a police official)
• Contravention of the Justices of the Peace and Commissioners of Oaths Act 16 of 1963.

The provincial police commissioner Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe praised the swift operation, saying the illegal use of police insignia and fraudulent certification of documents posed a serious risk tbendoo public trust.

“The abuse of police insignia and the illegal administration of oaths pose a serious threat to public trust and the credibility of official processes. We will continue to act decisively against anyone involved in such unlawful activities,” Hadebe said.