Cape Town - Police in the Western Cape have been praised for their operations at the weekend which resulted in the seizure of a large number of firearms and ammunition.
On Friday, police seized a cache of firearms and ammunition that were recovered at the Raubenheimer Dam outside Oudtshoorn in Little Karoo.
Provincial police spokesperson Captain Malcolm Pojie said a municipal worker was carrying out a routine inspection of the dam and discovered the ammunition, which was reported to the authorities.
He said the Attaqua K9 unit, police divers and members of Crime Intelligence were dispatched and found the cache of firearms and ammunition in the water.
“Three Martini-Henry rifles, a BSA rifle, two revolvers, a .30-30 rifle, an antique shotgun and 8,820 rounds of ammunition of various calibres were found.
“Garden Route district commissioner Major-General Oswald Reddy visited the scene in person and he had nothing but praise towards those involved in the find.
“He also commended the members for an excellent job done in retrieving the cache from the water,” Pojie said.
He said it was expected more ammunition could be retrieved.
Pojie has appealed to the public to come forward if they have any information on who is responsible for dumping the items in the dam. It will be dealt with in confidence. The public is urged to contact Oudtshoorn police on 044 203 9000 or Crime Stop on 0860 10111.
In an unrelated incident, Manenberg police members attached to its Crime Prevention Unit (CPU) arrested a 25-year-old man whom they found in possession of mandrax, heroin and methamphetamine.
In Elsies River, a 25-year-old man was arrested for being in possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition after officers responded to a shooting in 15th Avenue.
Later, in the same area, police found mandrax tablets and marijuana weighing about 312g in Tiara Way in Leonsdale. A suspect is yet to be arrested.
African News Agency (ANA)