DURBAN – An elderly man was among six suspects who were arrested over the alleged unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition in KwaZulu-Natal in five days.
Hawks spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said that on Thursday, Hawks officers from the Newcastle based Serious Organised Crime Investigation working together with Newcastle K9 and Explosives Unit arrested a 61-year-old man over possession of ammunition without a licence at McPhail drive in Dundee.
Mhlongo said it officers received information about a suspect who was allegedly in possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. A joint operation was conducted and members swooped in on the suspect’s house.
“A search was conducted and 924 assorted rounds of ammunition were found. He was placed under arrest and charged with possession of ammunition without a licence,” Mhlongo said.
He said the suspect was expected to appear in the Dundee Magistrate’s Court.
In other arrests and seizures during the week, police recovered six guns and numerous rounds of ammunition.
On May 11, at 9.30am, the Provincial Special Investigation Unit and Tracking Task Team conducted an intelligence-driven operation at Camperdown policing area.
The information that they received led them to a house in Lion Park where a 33-year-old man was found.
“A search was conducted and police found a 9mm pistol with 22 rounds of ammunition,” said police spokesperson Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo.
“The team proceeded to the second room where they found a 40-year-old man who was found in possession of a pellet gun and 11 rounds of ammunition.”
Ngcobo said both men were arrested and would appear in court on charges of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
In the early hours of the same morning, police were following up on information about unlawful firearms.
“Upon following the information the police arrested a 25-year-old man at Fata Mthaliyane in Plessislaer. He was caught with two pistols, forty-four live rounds and drugs. He was detained for unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of drugs,” Ngcobo said.
“The police proceeded to another location, also under the Plessislaer policing area, where they found the second suspect, 40. He was in possession of a pistol and nine live rounds of ammunition. He was arrested for (alleged) unlawful possession of a firearm.”
Ngcobo said that both men would appear in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court.
On May 7 at 7am, the police followed up on intelligence about a house in Embo, Hillcrest, where stolen goods were apparently kept. Police went to the address and they found a 25-year-old woman who allowed them to search the house.
“Upon searching the house, a rifle and 59 rounds of ammunition were recovered, as well as other stolen property. She informed police that the items belonged to her boyfriend who was not in the house during the arrest. A vehicle was also seized at the premises. The preliminary investigation conducted by police revealed that the vehicle had been hijacked in Berea in December 2021,” Ngcobo said.
She said the woman was arrested over the alleged unlawful possession of a firearm, defeating the ends of justice and possession of goods suspected to be stolen.
She was expected to appear before the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court.
Daily News