SAPS pepper spray, a hand grenade and unlicensed gun found during raid in Mpumalanga

Four people have been arrested after police recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand grenade, and SAPS branded pepper spray in Mpumalanga. Picture: SAPS

Four people have been arrested after police recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand grenade, and SAPS branded pepper spray in Mpumalanga. Picture: SAPS

Published Jul 27, 2022

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Pretoria – A hand grenade, an unlicensed firearm and SAPS branded pepper spray were some of the items recovered by police and the South African National Defence (SANDF) Force during a search at a house in Mpumalanga.

“An intelligence-driven operation carried out by members from Tonga, crime intelligence (unit) and SANDF led to the arrest of four suspects between the ages of 23 and 52, in Tonga,” said Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala.

Stolen items including home appliances were also seized during the operation. Picture: SAPS

He said law enforcement agencies in the province had received information about a man who was in possession of the firearm, a hand grenade and suspected stolen property at a house in Tonga.

“Upon arrival at the house they conducted a search and managed to recover an unlicensed firearm, one magazine, six live ammunition, a hand grenade and police-branded pepper spray,” Mohlala said.

An unlicensed firearm with ammunition was seized during the raid at houses in Mpumalanga. Picture: SAPS

One person was arrested at the house.

“A further probe by the police led them to two other houses in Block A and Block C where they also recovered suspected stolen items and also arrested three more suspects. All four suspects were then charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, hand grenade and possession of suspected stolen properties,” Mohlala said.

“One of the suspects, Solomon Sambo, 23, appeared at the Nkomazi Magistrate’s Court (on Tuesday) and was remanded in custody, he will appear again on 28 July, 2022, at the same court for a formal bail application. Whilst the other three suspects did not appear and are still in custody for further investigation.”

Provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has commended the police officers for their “swift reaction” in apprehending the alleged perpetrators.

She also saluted community members in the area “for working with the police in order to fight crime”.

In another case, the police in Mpumalanga have arrested a 72-year-old woman and her two sons on the hijacking and murder of an off-duty traffic officer, Thabo Mashego.

Mashego, 35, was killed at Saselani, near Bushbuckridge on Friday night.

“According to the report, on Monday morning, July 25, 2022, members from visible policing in Bushbuckridge received some information regarding a suspicious vehicle parked behind a certain house. The car was further covered with a white cloth,” Mohlala said.

“Bearing in mind that police were hard at work in relation to a murder case in which the traffic officer was hijacked and brutally killed, the information led members to a house in Agincourt outside Bushbuckridge where upon arrival, they found an old lady as well as the vehicle,” he said.

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