Police recover 20 firearms in 10 days
THE end of the firearms amnesty has not stopped Kwazulu-natal police from recovering illegal firearms in the province.
A multi-district task team operation in the early hours of yesterday morning in Madadeni, northern Kwazulu-natal, brought the firearms recovery count to 20 in 10 days.
Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said three suspects were arrested and charged for the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, while the other suspect was charged for being in possession of ammunition.
“The suspects, aged between 28 and 43, were found in possession of three .303 rifles and 94 rounds of ammunition. They were questioned about the firearms and ammunition but failed to provide proof of ownership and were arrested and detained at Madadeni,” said Mbele.
She said the suspects were expected to appear in the Madadeni Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
“The fourth .303 rifle was found abandoned in Muden and the suspect was nowhere to be seen. The operation is continuing and more arrests and recoveries are expected,” said Mbele.
More firearms were recovered on the outskirts of Durban and northern KZN. Pistols, shotguns and homemade firearms were some of the recovered weapons.
On February 4, a 39-year-old woman was found with a pistol, two home-made shotguns and five rounds of ammunition in the Nsuze policing precinct. Police found a shotgun during the search of another home.
On the same day, in the Appelsbosch area, police recovered a pistol, shotgun and an AK47 firearm along with 154 rounds of various ammunition.
On February 3, two home-made firearms were found abandoned in a home in the Ingwavuma policing precinct.
Two home-made shotguns, a pistol and 19 rounds of ammunition were found in another home. A 34-year-old man was arrested for possession of illegal firearms and ammunition.
A 51-year-old man was arrested for the illegal possession of a firearm with five rounds in Mariannhill.
In the Mpumalanga policing precinct, a 39-year-old man was also arrested for firearm and ammunition possession.
On January 30, Bergville police arrested a man, 26, who was in possession of two illegal firearms and two toy guns.
Gun Free SA researcher Claire Taylor congratulated the police for the weapons recovery, but their concern was that the weapons were destroyed, which was the only way of ensuring that they did not leak back into society.
Taylor said home-made firearms did not appear to be a new trend but they highlighted the importance of destroying firearm parts or components so they cannot be used in home-made firearms.
“Police need to ensure that there are no usable parts that are left behind during the destruction; they have to be completely destroyed,” said Taylor.