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Eight men have been arrested in Bellville after police seized six AK-47 rifles, eight pistols and ammunition during a raid.
- Eight men have been arrested in Bellville after police seized six AK-47 rifles, eight pistols and ammunition during a raid.
- Police believe the firearms were destined for Cape Flats gangs.
- Police say the weapons were transported from KwaZulu-Natal to Cape Town.
Eight men have been arrested in Bellville after police uncovered a cache of assault rifles and pistols they believe were destined for Cape Flats gangs.
In the early hours of Monday morning, Provincial Operational Coordination Combat Team members carried out an intelligence-driven raid on a flat in the area. Inside, they discovered six AK-47 rifles, eight 9mm pistols and ammunition.
Police spokesperson Colonel André Traut confirmed the bust, saying the suspects could not produce valid licences or permits for the weapons.
“According to preliminary information, the firearms had been transported from KwaZulu-Natal to Cape Town. Eight adult male suspects were arrested for the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. They are expected to appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court once formally charged,” he said.
Provincial police management praised officers for their swift action, as removing these weapons had averted further bloodshed.
“The removal of these firearms from the streets has undoubtedly prevented them from being used in the commission of serious crimes, and this success highlights SAPS’ commitment to ensuring safer communities,” said Traut.
A police insider close to the investigation said: “We believe the men are hitmen, but also selling guns to the gangs for profit.”
Since April, Western Cape police have seized more than 900 illegal firearms. Three weeks ago, Western Cape police raided a home in Oak Way, Mitchells Plain, where they found 19 illegal guns and 15 000 ammunition among an assortment of weapons.
The province remains gripped by gun violence: between April and September alone, 490 gang-related murders were recorded, while nearly 120 children under 18 were shot, 23 fatally.
READ | ‘Alarming levels’: 490 killed in Western Cape gang violence in 6 months, says Cachalia
Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, who presented the figures during a National Assembly debate on gun violence, said he was considering “targeted lockdowns” in hotspot areas on the Cape Flats and urgent measures to curb the proliferation of illegal firearms.
“Without access to firearms, the gangs will be seriously weakened,” Cachalia said.
“We need urgent interventions to remove firearms from gangsters and prevent further proliferation of these deadly weapons.”
He added that the strategy could include relocating firearms held in SAPS 13 stores, intensifying ballistic testing, and offering monetary rewards for tips.
