Dirt sticks to cleansed robbers

A DOZEN men, who were believed to be undergoing a “cleansing ceremony” for crimes they had committed recently, have been nabbed by police after a tip-off from the local community.

The alleged gang were taken by surprise as local police in Ulundi, as well as the Tactical Response Team, K9 Unit and Public Order Policing, all determined to stamp out the proliferation of illegal weapons, swooped.

Their haul of weapons – six AK-47s, two Luger rifles, a R-5 rifle, a revolver, two pistols and 120 rounds of ammunition – were also seized, as was the vehicle they were using, which is believed to have been stolen in Diepkloof in February.

One of the weapons was stolen during a business robbery in Vryheid earlier this month.

The operation was sparked when members of the community reported suspicious activities at a homestead in KwaGqikazi. Police stormed the homestead.

Detectives were confident that the gang might be responsible for several high-profile murders and robberies in the province recently, said police spokesman Brigadier Jay Naicker.

The 12 men, aged between 23 and 46, were charged for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition as well as possession of stolen property.

They appeared in the Ulundi Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

“These suspects are being profiled and I am hopeful that they will be linked to the recent spate of serious and violent crimes in the province. Their firearms will be subjected to ballistic tests to ascertain if they were used in the commission of any crimes,” said the KwaZulu-Natal acting provincial commissioner, Major-General Bheki Langa.

“We wish to extend our gratitude to those members of the community who conveyed their suspicions to local police. It is only through this type of community participation that we can win the war on crime.”

The Hawks and members of the Port Shepstone K9 Unit arrested a 25-year-old man for dealing in dagga.

Having received a tip-off that a car was transporting dagga from the Eastern Cape to KZN, they intercepted the vehicle at the Oribi Plaza and found 53 bags of dagga, weighing 160kg,with a street value of R360 000.

The suspect appeared in the Port Shepstone Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

His bail application was set for yesterday. – Daily News Reporter