Cape Town – Police in the Mother City have arrested a man and woman after they uncovered an arms cache of 26 guns – including three AK47 rifles and 12 pistols.
SA Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe on Tuesday, (4 March 2025), said the law enforcers also found 50 000 tablets of the illicit drug – Mandrax – when they swooped on a storage facility in Belville, Western Cape.
The arms cache and drug bust coincided with a meeting in Pretoria of various security experts, SADC, and Interpol officials led by the SAPS to develop a transnational organised crime national strategy for South Africa.
On the first day of this meeting, SAPS National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola said preventing and combatting drug dealing and trafficking as well as tackling the proliferation of illegal guns remains a top priority for the country’s law enforcement agencies.
“Just two weeks ago, we destroyed more than 16 000 firearms, and in six years, 279 594 firearms have been destroyed,” said General Masemola.
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“These were firearms that were seized during crime combatting operations and voluntarily handed over or forfeited to the state.
“Well done to the teams on the ground for the commitment and dedication.”
General Masemola said through Operation Shanela police continue to seize and confiscate at least 100 illegal and unlicensed firearms every week.
General Masemola also commended the vigilance and commitment of the SAPS Anti-Gang Unit and Crime Intelligence officers in the Western Cape following the arrest of two suspects at a storage facility in Belville, Cape Town.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu also commended the “unwavering dedication and vigilance” of the Anti-Gang Unit and Crime Intelligence officers in the Western Cape, following the breakthrough in the fight against violent crime and drug trafficking.
Minister Mchunu said the possession of illegal firearms and ammunition remains a serious concern, contributing to violent crime across the country, and was among the crimes that recorded an increase in the third quarter crime statistics.
Minister Mchunu said: “The successful removal of these firearms and drugs from criminal hands is a major step in reducing violent crime in our communities.
“Each illegal firearm taken off the streets is a potential life saved.
“We extend our appreciation to the dedicated men and women in blue, as well as all other law enforcement stakeholders, for their relentless pursuit of justice and safety for our people.”
