A 67-year-old man is expected to appear in the Chief Albert Luthuli Magistrate’s Court on Friday after being arrested for possession of unlicensed firearms, along with ammunition.
The arrest was made in contravention of the Firearms Control Act, as stated by Mpumalanga provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Donald Mdhluli.
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According to a police report, law enforcement agencies received information regarding a significant number of firearms allegedly stored by an elderly man inside a house in Elukwatini.
Further investigation revealed that the man was associated with a security company but was suspected of non-compliance with the Firearms Control Act.
A coordinated effort was made by the police team to verify the man’s compliance with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) regulations.
As a result, they visited the man’s residence in Elukwatini on Thursday afternoon. Armed with a search warrant, the law enforcement agencies began their search and discovered a total of approximately 106 firearms and 1,704 rounds of ammunition.
The firearms found in the house included 14 rifles, eight shotguns, 84 pistols with ammunition, numerous bullets for 9mm pistols, over 900 rifle bullets, and 65 shotgun rounds. Surprisingly, the firearms were not stored in a safe but rather concealed underneath a bed or inside a wardrobe.
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During the search, it was also discovered that some of the firearms, which potentially belonged to a security company, had expired licenses. Additionally, the man could not account for approximately 20 firearms. As a result, the man was arrested and charged for possessing four pistols without licenses, along with the accompanying ammunition.
The investigation aims to determine how the man acquired these firearms, as the police suspect there may be more to the story. The confiscated firearms and ammunition will undergo ballistic testing to determine if they have been used in the commission of crimes elsewhere.
Provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, expressed satisfaction with the arrest and recovery of the firearms and ammunition. She emphasized the importance of removing firearms from the wrong hands, as the proliferation of firearms remains a significant challenge in the fight against crime.
The police commend the whistle-blowers and officers involved in the successful operation. As the investigation continues, additional charges may be added against the suspect in relation to the contravention of the Firearms Control Act.
This incident follows a previous arrest in Mpumalanga, where a 32-year-old woman was apprehended for possessing an unlicensed pistol and ammunition in Phola. The police are committed to addressing the issue of illegal firearms and ensuring public safety.
