Cape Town - Five men are expected to make their first court appearances this week after being nabbed in targeted police operations at the weekend.
Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg confirmed four Tulbagh men will appear in the town’s magistrate’;s court after they were found in possession of a firearm and stolen vehicle.
“Ridding our communities of the illegal possession of firearms and bringing the perpetrators of the law to book yielded positive results when members of Tulbagh police arrested four adult males for the possession of an unlicensed firearm and the possession of a stolen motor vehicle in Station Road, Tulbagh, on Friday afternoon.
“The members received information about a suspicious vehicle and followed up on it. The vehicle was spotted and pulled over and searched by the members. A 9mm Norinco pistol was found inside the vehicle. Further investigations revealed that the vehicle they were driving was reported stolen in the Nyanga area,” said Twigg.
The suspects will appear in the Tulbagh Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
In an unrelated matter, Twigg said, members of Manenberg police arrested a 30-year-old man for the possession of an unlicensed firearm.
The arrest was made in Pluto Road, Manenberg, on Saturday morning at about 3.55am.
“The members were busy with stop and search operations due to the ongoing gang violence in the area when they searched the suspect and found a 9mm pistol with ammunition in his possession. The suspect will make a court appearance in the Athlone Magistrate’s court on Monday,” said Twigg.
Twigg said 460 wanted suspects were arrested who were sought for serious offences such as murder, attempted murder, robbery, assault, burglary and domestic violence.
“Operation Vutha Hawe is an ongoing initiative where inroads are being made to apprehend and charge wanted suspects. In addition to (this), Operation Restore, and other SAPS related initiatives, led to the seizure of 84 firearms and 657 rounds of ammunition between 1 October and 13 October 2022. These operations will continue to ensure that those on the wrong side of the law are brought to book and to ensure the SAPS in the Western Cape create a safe and secure environment for all inhabitants in the province,” said Twigg.
If you have any information related to crime, contact CrimeStop anonymously on 08600 10111.
Cape Times