Phoenix woman, 63, and man arrested with firearms allegedly linked to Bloods gang
Serial numbers filed off
Police seized guns and ammunition during the raid.
Image: Supplied
A 63-YEAR-OLD woman from Phoenix was arrested alongside a 36-year-old man after unlicensed firearms allegedly belonging to the "Bloods" gang were discovered in her home. The operation unfolded in Foresthaven, Phoenix, after a community member alerted authorities about alleged illicit activities taking place at the residence on Swallowhaven Road.
When police searched the house, they found pistols with serial numbers filed off, handguns, shotguns and ammunition hidden in a wardrobe.
The woman and man were charged with possession of unlicensed firearms, possession of prohibited firearms, and illegal possession of ammunition.
Colonel Robert Netshiunda, a provincial police spokesperson, said the intelligence-driven operation, spearheaded by members of the Provincial Organised Crime Unit, was conducted on Thursday evening.
“Police received information from a community member about the firearms, which were allegedly stored at the said address. The firearms allegedly belonged to a man, who is suspected to be the leader of a gang group known as 'Bloods’ in the area.
“The information was operationalised and police officers, armed with a search warrant, arrived at the house and found two occupants, a 38-year-old man and a 63-year-old woman.
“During the search police found two pistols with serial numbers filed off, two handguns and two shotguns, as well as several rounds of ammunition, which were hidden inside a wardrobe in an upstairs bedroom."
Netshiunda said police were still searching for the leader of the Bloods gang.
“A search for another suspect, who is believed to be the drug kingpin and gang leader in the area, is ongoing. The firearms will be taken for forensic analysis to determine if they were used in the commission of crimes in the area or elsewhere in the province,” he said.