Johannesburg - Police are trying to determine if a man linked to five murders in Sophiatown and Eldorado Park has a criminal record in his home city of Cape Town.
Fredelin Marks was arrested on Wednesday night during a routine stop and search operation by the Kliptown SAPS, where he was found in what was believed to be a stolen vehicle.
“The police were conducting an operation when they stopped the vehicle driven by two suspects. On searching the suspects, police found an unlicensed firearm in the possession of one of the car’s occupants,” said the provincial police spokesperson, Captain Mavela Masondo.
Marks was arrested and it was subsequently discovered that he was a suspect in four Sophiatown murders and another in Kliptown, all taking place between 2016 and this year.
On Friday he appeared at the Protea Magistrate’s Court for the gun charge, though his case was quickly postponed.
“This is a breakthrough for the police, as the province is on a mission to recover unlicensed firearms and minimise cases of murder,” Masondo said.
“His arrest will help the police continue with the investigations that will bring closure to the families of the murdered people.”
A source close to the investigation said it is understood Marks may be linked to a gang that targeted the individuals killed in each of the cases, and that police had determined he was originally from Cape Town and may be linked to other incidents.
However, by Friday night, Masonda had been unable to answer queries around the five murders or confirm if the suspected multiple murderers had been implicated in any other crimes in Cape Town.