Cops vow to reduce illegal firearms

Police have vowed to reduce the number of unlicensed firearms in the province.

“Serious and violent crimes and the possession of unlicensed firearms are top priorities for the Western Cape police and we will continue with our crime-fighting initiatives and operations to disarm criminals in this province,” said police spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Andre Traut.

Shortly after midnight on Saturday, Nyanga Public Order Police seized an unlicensed 9mm firearm which was found in a vehicle they searched. A 48-year-old man was arrested and detained.

In a similar incident, also in Nyanga, police responded to an attempted murder in Ngulube Street. The suspects who fled the scene were described by eyewitnesses and a search of the area led to the arrest of three men, aged between 36 and 39, in Browns Farm. A 9mm pistol allegedly used by the suspects was recovered in their silver Toyota Corolla. The men face charges of attempted murder and the possession of an unlicensed firearm.

A tip-off to police resulted in the recovery of eight bags of dagga and the arrest of a 23-year-old man in Ramaphosa informal settlement in Browns Farm. The arrest and confiscation happened during an operation in the informal settlement on Friday October 4 by sector policing members of Nyanga SAPS in conjunction with SAPS’ Crime Intelligence Unit.

The suspect was due to appear in Philippi Magistrate’s Court on Monday October 7 on charges of dealing in dagga.

In an unrelated incident, various arrests were made in the area during a tracing operation conducted on Thursday evening, October 3. Four suspects were arrested on charges of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm, one suspect for possession of an engine which belonged to a hijacked vehicle and the other seven were arrested for malicious damage to property and various other crimes.