Five male suspects arrested for possession of an unlicensed firearm at Nancefield Hostel in Soweto

Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department Tactical Response Unit officers received information from crime intelligence about a group of males residing at Nancefield hostel. According to the information received, the males were armed with unlicensed firearms and were allegedly involved in a number of armed robberies, hijackings, and other serious crimes in Soweto and surrounding areas.

The officers, together with South African Police Service Crime Intelligence members, proceeded to the said address in Nancefield hostel. Upon arrival, the officers knocked at the specified room, and there was no response.

The officers noticed a silver-grey Nissan Almera with a hole on the rear bumper parked inside the hostel yard, which matched the description of one of the vehicles used in the commission of the crime.

The officers searched the vehicle, which was not locked, and found a JMPD bulletproof vest, a Nissan vehicle key, and a vehicle computer box in the spare wheel compartment.

In the early hours of the morning, whilst exiting at the hostel. They intercepted a white Toyota Corolla with five male occupants at the entrance of the hostel.

The officers tactfully surrounded the vehicle and requested to search it. Whilst searching, the officers found an unlicensed firearm (Star) with the serial number filled off and four ammunition from an empty cartridge in the chamber. The officers searched the vehicle and found two pistols with no serial numbers and one round.

The officers asked whom the firearm belonged to, and the suspects failed to give a satisfactory explanation. All five suspects were placed under arrest for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition and detained at Moroka SAPS.