Police have arrested a 36-year-old man and seized two firearms, ammunition and imitation weapons during an intelligence-driven operation in Ottery, Cape Town.
The operation was conducted on Thursday, 30 July, by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) Anti-Gang Unit, supported by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), under Operation Prosper.
Police targeted a residence at Hohenhort Court in the Ottery area after receiving intelligence about suspected illegal firearms.
During a search of the property, officers seized a CZ100 pistol and a Ruger pistol, two imitation firearms, three magazines, 29 rounds of ammunition of various calibres and a blank round.
A 36-year-old man was arrested and is facing charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, as well as the illegal possession of two imitation firearms.
He is expected to appear in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court.
In a separate operation conducted as part of the same deployment, police tracing wanted suspects arrested a 51-year-old man for allegedly contravening the Domestic Violence Act.
The arrests come as police intensify operations targeting illegal firearms, which authorities have identified as a major contributor to violent and gang-related crime in the Western Cape.
Acting Western Cape Provincial Commissioner Major General Luyanda Damoyi said the recovery of illegal firearms could help prevent further violent crimes.
“The proliferation of illegal firearms continues to fuel violent crime and gang-related violence in our province,” Damoyi said.
He said police could not determine whether the recovered firearms had previously been used in crimes until ballistic testing had been completed.
“Every firearm recovered is one less weapon available to criminals to rob, intimidate or take innocent lives,” Damoyi said.
He added that police would continue conducting intelligence-driven operations to remove illegal firearms from circulation.
SAPS has urged communities to provide information that could assist police in recovering illegal firearms and identifying those involved in their possession and use. – SAnews.gov.za
