Police in Volksrust arrest four suspects and discover unlicensed firearms
Police in Volkrust received information about a silver BMW, with four occupants, that was traveling on the R543 Road between Wakkerstroom and Volksrust, heading towards the Volksrust direction.
Four suspects were arrested on June 21 in connection with possession of unlicensed firearms with ammunition, possession of suspected stolen property, as well as being involved in a business robbery in Volksrust.
According to a statement from the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison, the arrests stem from an incident in which police in Volkrust received information about a silver BMW, with four occupants, that was travelling on the R543 Road between Wakkerstroom and Volksrust, heading towards Volksrust.
The information alleged that the vehicle was involved in an armed robbery at Wakkerstroom the previous evening.
The shop owner, as well as customers, were robbed of their belongings at gunpoint.
Police spotted a vehicle matching the description on R543 Road next to the entrance to Vukuzakhe township.
The car was stopped and a search of the vehicle and the occupants was then conducted.
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According to the statement, two unlicensed firearms, a 9mm short Davis pistol with ammunition, a 9mm Luger pistol, also with ammunition, were discovered.
The firearms were seized for further investigation and ballistic testing will be conducted to establish if the weapons were not used in the commission of crime previously.
More charges could be added against the suspects. Various brands of cigarettes, cellphones, as well as an undisclosed amount of cash, packed inside a plastic bag, were also found.
Preliminary investigations led SAPS to premises where other items, believed to have been hidden, were discovered.
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Upon further investigations, police were led to a field where some machines, used to generate airtime for various mobile networks, were seen.
The suspects were expected to appear in the Volksrust District Court on June 22.
The provincial commissioner of SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, welcomed the arrests and appreciated the information shared with police.
The general applauded officers for their response which led to the arrests as well as the recovery of the firearms.
