Cape Town - Cape Town law enforcement agencies made 101 arrests over the last week for crimes ranging from drunk driving to the illegal possession of AK-47, R5 and R1 assault rifles, the City said on Monday.
Sixty-two of the arrests were carried out by the City’s Metro Police. This included one in Bonteheuwel where officers recovered 76 rounds of ammunition, including those for an AK-47, R5, and R1 assault rifle. Four magazines were also recovered, all following a tip-off from a member of the public about firearms and ammunition allegedly hidden in an electricity box in the area.
The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith said the find illustrated the severity of the gang situation in Cape Town.
“The use of heavy artillery in some of the areas experiencing gang conflict is becoming more commonplace and bears testament to the level of organised crime involved,” he said.
“These types of assault rifle are not found at any gun store and I believe that efforts to find and cut off the supply line would not only make the streets safer, but would also give the police who are mandated to investigate these crimes the evidence to start tracking down the big players.”
Police also arrested a suspect in Hanover Park after he was found in possession of five rounds of ammunition for a .38 revolver. They also arrested an Elsies River man who was found in possession of a revolver which had been reported stolen in Rondebosch.
A further 22 suspects were arrested for possession of drugs. Drugs with an estimated street value of R10 000 in street value was confiscated during a joint operation with the South African Police Service in Delft.
The City’s Traffic Services arrested 39 suspects which included a man and his female passenger driving in a stolen vehicle. Keys for different types of vehicles as well as drug paraphernalia were discovered in the vehicle.
Other suspects were arrested during an illegal street racing operation and through a number of roadblocks on Saturday.
African News Agency
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