PRETORIA - Gauteng police chief Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela on Wednesday commended police officers in the province for the “hard work” that led to the arrest of several suspects and the recovery of six illegal firearms.
Provincial police spokesperson, Captain Kay Makhubele, said on Tuesday, an alleged taxi hit man was arrested before he could execute his work at Faraday taxi rank in Johannesburg. He was found with an unlicenced firearm.
“It is alleged that he was supposed to kill members of the taxi association in Johannesburg. Four other suspects were stopped in Germiston after police were following information of the car with false registration numbers.
"Police spotted the vehicle and followed it until they stopped it during the operation. It was discovered that the suspects [in the car] were bank followers,” said Makhubele.
“The suspects were using a Taxify car with false registration numbers. The suspects will be profiled to determine if they were involved in other crimes, and the vehicle was impounded.”
In Gauteng’s West Rand, Makhubele said police conducted operations after a businessman was killed last week in Bekkersdal.
“Police arrested suspects who were involved in the business robbery and the killing of the businessman. During the arrest three unlicensed firearms were recovered,” he said.
“Furthermore, [SAPS] Flying Squad [members] were called for backup in Soshanguve by the Brits crime intelligence members who were following information of a suspect driving a BMW.
"The suspect was stopped and led the police to Tshwane CBD in one of the hotels where he had a room. During the search in his room two unlicensed firearms were recovered, therefore the suspect was arrested for possession of unlicensed firearms.”
Mawela also saluted community members in Gauteng “who always give the information to the police”.
African News Agency