Concerted efforts to effectively fight the proliferation and usage of illegal firearms in the Nelson Mandela Bay district paid off last night, 23 January 2023 when SAPS Kwazakele members in collaboration with a tracker company successfully apprehended four suspects, confiscated three firearms and recovered property taken in a house robbery in Zwide earlier the same evening.
It is alleged that at about 22:50 on the mentioned date, the team received and immediately followed up on information about a house robbery that took place earlier in Zono Street, Zwide. During the robbery a white Audi A4 and various household items were taken.
With the assistance of the tracking company, the members swooped in on a house in Soweto-on-Sea where they discovered the vehicle and the stolen property that was taken during the house robbery. Three illegal firearms with ammunition were also seized. The pistol was stolen during a house robbery in Fibi Street in Zwide last week.
The four suspects (ages between 20 and 30) are detained on charges of illegal possession of unlicensed firearms, possession of prohibited firearms, illegal possession of ammunition and possession of suspected stolen property. Additional charges may be added once detectives have established the link to the house robbery.
The firearms will be sent to ballistics for analysis.
The suspects are due to appear in the New Brighton magistrate’s court soon on the respective charges.
Nelson Mandela Bay District Commissioner, Maj Gen Vuyisile Ncata commended the sterling work from SAPS Kwazakele members and the tracker company. ‘Combating vehicle theft and hijackings as a category of the trio crimes, is one of our top priorities. This collaborative effort of curbing crime in cohesion with private entities will most definitely have a positive impact in ensuring the sustainability of low levels of serious crime. We will not waiver in our determination to rid the streets of illegal firearms. Well done to all the members for this successful arrests, confiscations and recoveries,’ added Maj Gen Ncata.
Kwazakele police and Tracker Company commended on excellent arrests and recovery of firearms https://t.co/UX3fKeQeJl #ArriveAlive #GunsOffTheStreets @SAPoliceService pic.twitter.com/kgGoPpBvTE
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) January 25, 2023
