Pretoria – The South African Police Service (SAPS) has commended its members for arresting a 39-year-old man for possession of an unlicensed assault rifle and ammunition at the Wanderers taxi rank in Johannesburg.
Johannesburg central SAPS spokesperson, Captain Xoli Mbele said the man was arrested on Saturday evening, while he was in a taxi.
“Police were busy with their routine crime prevention duties of stop and search; when they searched passengers inside a taxi to Kimberly. They recovered a rifle and ammunition inside a sports bag belonging to one of the commuters,” said Mbele.
“The firearm will be sent to ballistic testing to ascertain if it was used in the commission of other serious and violent crimes.”
Mbele said investigations were underway and the arrested man was on Monday appearing before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court.
“Johannesburg central station commander Brigadier [Ivan] Perumal commended good work done by the members in removing one of a dangerous assault rifle in the wrongful hands,” said Mbele.
“He urged the police to enhance the stop and search during this festive season.”
In October, the police in Johannesburg central arrested a 38-year-old passenger, who was allegedly found in possession of unlicensed firearms in his luggage, also at the Wanderers taxi rank.
Police officers said they were conducting their routine crime prevention duties, when they performed a search on passengers in a taxi en-route to Klerksdorp.
Mbele said the suspect was found in possession of two unlicensed firearms and live ammunition in his bag.
He explained: “Police were busy with their routine crime prevention duties. They searched passengers inside the taxi to Klerksdorp”.
“They searched a bag belonging to a male sitting in the back seat. Inside his bag, police recovered two unlicensed firearms and live ammunition. He failed to produce a licence to possess a firearm,” said Mbele at the time.
IOL