Local man implicated in police arms theft syndicate

IN TWO major breakthroughs in a mammoth police investigation into the channelling of guns and ammunition to gangsters in Cape Town, a businessman was arrested and a former police officer jailed this week.

The businessman, 41, was taken into custody in Rondebosch on Thursday, just two days after ex-police colonel Christiaan Prinsloo was sentenced to an effective 18 years in prison in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court.

It is understood Prinsloo, 55, sold the businessman firearms and ammunition which should have been destroyed as part of police operations.

The businessman is expected to appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Yesterday regional National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Eric Ntabazalila said he could only comment on the latest developments in the case once the businessman had appeared.

He will face charges along with Allan Raves, 50, a firearms dealer from Gauteng who was arrested in Vereeniging in August .

Raves, who is also an inspector for the SA Heritage Resources Institute and whose duties included monitoring firearms destined for destruction, is expected to appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court next month.

During a previous court appearance it emerged Raves intended pleading not guilty to the charges he faces.

On Tuesday Prinsloo entered into a deal with the State. He pleaded guilty to 11 charges, including racketeering, corruption and the theft of firearms and ammunition, and was sentenced to an effective 18 years in jail.

Previously, Prinsloo was also accused of three murders and 12 attempted murders in some of Cape Town’s most notorious gang hot spots, after allegedly supplying the guns used in the killings.

But these charges were not included in the plea and sentencing agreement.

In entering into the agreement, Prinsloo effectively turned his back on Raves.

“Immediately after his arrest the accused… co-operated with police by taking the police to the site where he already delivered weapons to and would further deliver to.

“He was prepared to participate in a potentially life-threatening operation in order to assist the investigation,” the agreement said.

Major- General Jeremy Vearey, who up until earlier this month was the deputy provincial commissioner of detective services before being shifted to head the Cape Town cluster of police stations, was instrumental in the arrests in the case.

Vearey previously headed the province’s anti-gang strategy, Operation Combat, and led the provincial arm of a national probe into the illegal firearms trade.

Together with his colleague Major-General Peter Jacobs, who until earlier this month was the provincial Crime Intelligence head, Vearey was involved in high-profile investigations, including into possibly corrupt Crime Intelligence officers.

Vearey’s sights were also set on Prinsloo, who was a police colonel while he was under investigation.

According to Prinsloo’s plea and sentencing agreement, he and a colleague began plotting a decade ago to sell the firearms in question.

Prinsloo admitted to getting in contact with Raves and a second person in the Western Cape who were interested in acquiring gun, firearm components and ammunition.

Between 2007 or 2008, and until Prinsloo’s arrest on January 16 last year, 2 400 firearms were stolen from the Silverton and Germiston police. Prinsloo also admitted to stealing thousands of rounds of ammunition of various calibres during that time.

The plea and sentencing agreement said Prinsloo was remorseful about his crimes, and felt he had failed in his duty to serve and protect the community.

caryn.dolley@inl.co.za

Christiaan Prinsloo