Durban — A police operation in northern KwaZulu-Natal led to the arrest of a suspect who was found in possession of a police-issued firearm. Two more firearms were also recovered - one with a licence that expired in 2018.
Police from the Provincial Operational Response Services (ORS), Public Order Policing (POP) officers from Empangeni and Crime Intelligence officers conducted a search and seizure operation which led to the recovery of three firearms and the arrest of a suspect in the early hours of Tuesday.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the intelligence-driven operation was conducted at Dondotha where a 30-year-old suspect was arrested after he was found in possession of a firearm with 14 rounds of ammunition.
He said the suspect was due to appear at KwaMbonambi Periodical Court on Tuesday (today).
“Investigations revealed that the firearm belonged to the police service and was not issued to any officer. There are no records indicating that the firearm was reported missing or stolen. Investigations are under way to determine how the firearm ended in the hands of the suspect,” Netshiunda said.
“The operation continued to a homestead in Dondotha where a firearm with 15 rounds of ammunition was found wrapped with a T-shirt and was hidden on a couch inside an unlocked room. The firearm, licensed to a 38-year-old man was seized for reasons of non-compliance with the Firearms Control Act.
“A search at another house also led to the recovery of a firearm with eight rounds of ammunition. The firearm was seized, also for non-compliance with the Firearms Control Act. The owner of the firearm had a licence that expired in 2018 and had no safe in his house,” Netshiunda continued.
He said the firearms would be subjected to ballistic testing to ascertain if they were used in the commission of crimes.
Meanwhile, on Monday, two suspects were shot and killed in a shoot-out with police in Empangeni.
Netshiunda said police were patrolling when they saw a white bakkie parked at the sugar cane field along Old Mtubatuba Road in Empangeni.
“When police approached the vehicle, two suspects started firing shots at the police and a shoot-out ensued. After the shoot-out, two suspects were found to have sustained fatal gunshot wounds. Two firearms and several rounds of ammunition were found in their possession,” Netshiunda said.
He said police officers were not injured.
Netshiunda said preliminary investigations revealed that the vehicle which was in the possession of the suspects was stolen during a house robbery at KwaMsane on Friday, November 15.
“Further investigations also found that the two suspects had warrants of arrest issued against them in connection with cases of murder.”
Netshiunda said that in a separate incident, police in Empangeni arrested four suspects wanted for a spate of house robberies in areas such as KwaMsane, Hlabisa, Mtubatuba, Empangeni, Richards Bay and Esikhaleni.
“During their arrest, police found them in possession of three firearms and ammunition,” Netshiunda said.
He said that on Saturday, November 16, the suspects went into a house at Mazimazana area in Empangeni and forced the victims into one house, and at gunpoint they forced one victim to transfer an undisclosed amount of money from her business account to theirs.
“The suspects, aged between 30 and 39 years old, will appear in the Empangeni Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, November 20 on charges of house robbery and possession of unlicensed firearms. More charges could be added as investigations unfold,” Netshiunda said.
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