OR Tambo Police successfully recovered four unlicensed guns and arrested two suspects in Mthatha and Port St Johns within the OR Tambo District Municipality. The operations highlight the relentless efforts of the police to ensure community safety and combat violent crime within the district.
At around 4:00 PM, officers acted on a tip-off regarding a 62-year-old man believed to possess unlicensed firearms in the Mthalala locality of Caguba in Port St Johns. Upon arrival at the suspect’s homestead, police were met with alarming finds: a shotgun with an erased serial number, two homemade firearms, and eleven live shells stashed away in the bedroom. The suspect was promptly arrested and is set to appear at the Port St Johns Magistrate Court on Monday, January 20, on charges of unlawful possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
In a separate operation at approximately 3:30 PM in Mthatha, a 32-year-old man from Zimbane Administrative Area was apprehended after officers, acting on another tip-off, located an unlicensed 9mm pistol, also with an erased serial number, along with ammunition. He briefly appeared before the Mthatha Magistrate Court on Friday, January 17, and his case has been postponed to January 23 for a formal bail application.
Brigadier Ntuli, the Acting Commissioner for the OR Tambo District, commended the police for their dedicated work, stating, “Many innocent lives have been saved today. These illegal firearms often lead to serious violent crimes, and we must continue to work tirelessly to remove them from our streets.”
