Cape Town – SA Police Service (SAPS) officers in the Western Cape have uncovered an arms cache at a warehouse in an industrial area in Malmesbury, on the West Coast, and arrested a suspect only identified as a “62-year-old South African of German descent”.
Acting on a tip-off, the police swooped on a warehouse on Thursday evening and found an arms cache comprising rifles, 9mm pistols, an assortment of rounds of ammunition, and other heavy weapon artillery.
The recovered weapons and ammunition include:
- 44 firearms (comprising nine rifles, handguns, a cannon, and pistols)
- 11 firearm parts (considered firearms in terms of the Firearms Control Act)
- Two full LDV loads of an assortment of rounds of ammunition
- Substantial quantities of gunpowder
- Numerous boxes used for storage of firearm magazines
Police have since established that the arrested suspect is a naturalised South African of German descent.
He has been charged with breaching aspects of the Firearms Control Act that include the unlawful possession of unlicensed firearms, and ammunition.
The suspect resides in the Tierfontein area and is expected to appear in court in the Malmesbury Magistrates court on Monday.
The police said as their investigation continues the possibility of further arrests cannot be ruled out.
The origin of the firearms, ammunition, and gunpowder is the subject of the police investigation.
Western Cape police management has lauded the efforts of Malmesbury police in getting to the root causes of crime.
“With communities plagued by incidence of gun violence, it is envisaged that through investigations that are currently underway some explanations will emerge as police strive to create safer communities”, said Western Cape provincial commissioner, Lt General Thembisile Patekile.
