CAPE TOWN - Police in Cape Town have recovered three illegal firearms and various stolen items, and arrested 13 people for various offences in the Khayelitsha and Nyanga areas this week, Western Cape police said on Sunday.
During a joint operation between Cape Town tactical response team (TRT) members and Vredenburg police, the hideout of three suspects linked to several incidents of trio crimes (house and business robberies and hijackings) which occurred in Vredenburg was pointed out by an informant, Captain FC van Wyk said.
Their location was pointed out on Thursday morning in Kosovo squatter camp in Samora Machel in Khayelitsha. The three suspects were arrested and found to be in possession of three firearms of which the serial numbers were removed and 19 rounds of ammunition, he said.
The three arrested men were expected to appear in the Athlone Magistrate's Court once they had been charged for possession of illegal and prohibited firearms and illegal possession of ammunition.
On the same days, 10 suspects were also arrested for possession of a hijacked vehicle and possession of alleged stolen property in Browns Farm and Crossroads, Nyanga. Three suspects were arrested on Thursday shortly after a Toyota Conquest was hijacked while the owner of the car was assisting another motorist with a broken vehicle in Lansdowne Road, Van Wyk said.
Vigilant police officers on patrol spotted the car carrying three occupants in Sharon Street in Woodbaai. Three teenagers, aged 16, were arrested, and their accomplice was arrested later that night. All four suspects were due to appear in the Athlone Magistrate's Court for pointing a firearm and possession of a stolen vehicle, he said.
In a another incident, six suspects were arrested in the early hours of Friday morning for being in possession of suspected stolen property.
Police received information about stolen property stored in a certain house in Unathi, Crossroads. On arrival at the address, police searched the house and recovered three flat screen TVs, a play station, and various other property.
When questioned about the ownership of the property, no one could answer and all of them, including a 22-year-old woman, were arrested. The suspects, aged between 20 and 37, were expected to appear in the Philippi Magistrate's Court for being in possession of suspected stolen property, Van Wyk said.