A 56-year-old Springs businessman briefly appeared in the Springs Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on charges of possession of unlicensed firearms, ammunition and explosives and contravention of the Firearms Control Act No. 60 of 2000.
He was arrested in Fourth Street, Vischkuil on August 22 by the Gauteng Hawks National Bureau of Illegal Firearms Control and Priority Violent Crimes.
The arsenal uncovered and seized by the Hawks in conjunction with the Springs police, SAPS Bomb Disposal Unit and SAPS K9 Dog Unit, allegedly included various types of explosives, 16 shotguns, a revolver, 5 000 rounds of ammunition, signal flares, hand grenades and electronic detonators.
The state asked for the case to be postponed until the ballistics report has been released.
Hawks spokesperson Capt Ndivhuwo Mulamu says the arms and ammunition found in the accused’s possession were all were taken to SAPS Forensic Services for further investigation.
“This will help in detecting whether they have been used in the commission of any crime or not,” Mulamu says.
According to Hawks acting head Lt Gen Yolisa Matakata, the arrest followed a five-month investigation.
The accused was granted R5 000 bail on August 22, which has since been extended.
The case was postponed to December 14 for further investigation.
