With gun violence rife across Cape Town, provincial police said they were making inroads after they seized at least 54 firearms during operations in the past week.
Police operations intensified on Sunday, in Browns Farm, Philippi, where multiple teams, including the Anti Economical, Extortion Task Team and Provincial Counterfeit Goods Task Team, mobilised to target illicit activities.
Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie said: “Members were driving in Dyushu Street, Browns Farm, when they spotted several males standing at the back of a white Quantum. The members approached them tactically upon which the suspects fled into different directions to evade arrest.
“The members hot in pursuit managed to first trace a suspect who fled into a nearby house and another who disappeared over the roof of the house to the back of a flat where he hid himself. They arrested the first suspect with a fully loaded revolver found in his possession. A female was found with a 9 mm pistol next to her. During an extended search inside the house they found a third suspect, a male person with a 9 mm pistol without a serial number. The suspect who fled over the roof was also traced and found in possession of a 9mm pistol with an extra magazine in his pocket.”
Further operations in Lotus, Gugulethu uncovered additional caches of ammunition, including rounds for R1 and AK47 rifles, alongside a confiscated gas rifle.
According to Pojie, the incident led to the arrest of suspects aged between 23 and 36 on charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk said four men were arrested and would appear in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court after one of the suspects pointed a firearm at police.
“On Sunday the members received information about a vehicle suspected to have been used in an armed robbery that took place at a clothing retail store in Gatesville. At around 2pm members spotted the vehicle in Khayelitsha, approaching from the opposite direction. They turned around to pull the vehicle over. One of the suspect’s that was inside the vehicle pointed at the members with a firearm upon which the members fired shots towards him, wounding him in his right shoulder,” said Van Wyk.
The men were arrested where after it was established that the firearm used to point at the officers was an imitation firearm.
“Cellular telephones as well as dummy cellular telephones were recovered and handed in as exhibits. The suspects will appear in the Khayelitsha Magistrates’ court, once charged,” said Van Wyk.
Provincial police further confirmed that 1 247 illegal firearms and 21 059 rounds of ammunition were seized in the province in the last financial year.
Cape Times