Eighteen suspects arrested over the weekend are expected to appear in different courts around Gauteng soon on charges ranging from possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, as well as possession of suspected stolen and hijacked cars.
The suspects were arrested over the weekend in operation O Kae Molao, where police recovered firearms and in a separate incident a vehicle was stolen during a house robbery in Hebron, North-West of Pretoria Tshwane.
The arrests happened while police were carrying out routine patrols on Solomon Mahlangu Road in Garsfontein Tshwane when they stopped a suspicious-looking grey Ford Eco Sport. The car was subsequently searched, and the police found a firearm with eight rounds of ammunition.
In another search in Danville, police recovered a firearm hidden in the boot of a VW Jetta.
With both these incidents, the suspects failed to produce licenses for the firearms and were arrested on the spot.
In a separate district, an intelligence-driven operation led police to a tavern in Zandspruit informal settlement, Honeydew. Upon arrival at the tavern, police conducted a search and a suspect was arrested for possession of an unlicensed firearm.
“Meanwhile in Randfontein, a suspect was chased by a police constable and was caught with an unlicensed firearm. Other suspects were arrested for possession of unlicensed firearms in other areas within the province, bringing to total 18 firearms recovered by the police,” Captain Mavela Masondo said in a statement.
Over the weekend police in Gauteng managed to arrest over 860 suspects during Operation O Kae Molao conducted by the different districts.
“In Tshwane police acted swiftly to a complaint of a VW Polo that was hijacked in Mabopane. The car was recovered within a few minutes after it was hijacked. Still in Tshwane, 281 suspects were arrested for crimes ranging from house robbery, dealing in dagga, selling liquor without a license, contravention of protection order, pointing of firearm, fraud, theft, rape and assault,” Captain Masondo added.
Operation O Kae Molao conducted in the Johannesburg region saw police arrest 159 suspects for crimes that include armed robbery, theft, possession of dangerous weapons, tempering with essential infrastructure, assault, driving while under the influence of alcohol and possession of drugs.
Captain Masondo said, “Other suspects were arrested in districts of Sedibeng, West Rand and Ekurhuleni for crimes ranging from murder, house robbery, theft, possession of drugs, assault, fraud, possession of suspected stolen property and malicious damage to property.”
Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, Provincial Commissioner of the police in Gauteng, commended community members who continued to report any criminal activities in their areas and assured the public that the men in blue will continue to quickly respond to any crime-related calls.
“The provincial commissioner also noted with appreciation and welcomed the recovery of unlicensed firearms and dangerous weapons that are normally used in the commission of serious and violent crimes,” Captain Masondo stated in a statement.
