At around 04h30 on the morning of Thursday, 7 November 2024, members of the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) Flying Squad in White River, Mpumalanga attempted to pull over a single-cab bakkie during a routine traffic patrol.
The bakkie ignored the instructions of the officers and attempted to evade them by driving off at high speed.
A pursuit ensued as the Flying Squad members chased the suspect. Eventually, they managed to stop the bakkie and, upon searching it, discovered enough weapons to arm a small militia.
A worrisome discovery
As many as 13 firearms as well as other paraphernalia were found stashed below the tonneau cover of the single-cab bakkie after the Flying Squad finally pinned him down.
The seized items comprised:
- Eight AK-47 rifles
- One R1 rifle
- One R4 rifle
- One R5 rifle
- One pistol
- One revolver
- Two grenades
- Dozens of live ammunition rounds
The driver of the bakkie was arrested after the pursuit and will be facing charges related to the possession of illegal firearms and ammunition.
The weapons will undergo ballistic testing to determine whether they were not previously used in the commission of crime elsewhere, hence Police cannot rule out the possibility of adding more charges against the suspects as the investigation continues.
Jackie Macie, Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security, and Liaison, lauded the authorities for their swift action while highlighting the concerning nature of the discovery.
“It is very disturbing and worrisome for these kinds of dangerous weapons to be found in the hands of criminals,” said the MEC.
“This shows that as a province we are not safe because we don’t know where these firearms were destined to and what were they are going to be used for. Hopefully, the arrested suspect will shed more light on this.”
As the festive season approaches in which the authorities usually see a spike in crime, the SAPS urges citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities or information that may assist in combating lawlessness.
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