During weekend crime prevention operations in Mitchell’s Plain, police seized nine illegal firearms, with three arrests made in separate incidents on Sunday October 1.
Police, however, have confirmed that these are not related to the 15 state-issued firearms that recently went missing from Mitchell’s Plain police station (“Missing guns probe”, Plainsman, September 20).
The latest incident took place in Kannon Kop Street, Tafelsig, at 4.15pm on Sunday October 1 when a 24-year-old man was arrested for being in possession of a silver Rossi .38 special revolver with a brown handle, covered with white insulation tape.
The serial number of the firearm had been filed off, and it had three empty cartridges in the barrel and seven rounds.
Mitchell’s Plain police spokesman Captain Ian Williams said patrolling officers had seen the man, who had been standing in a yard, run into a wendy house when he saw police.
The members gave chase and apprehended him.
Earlier that day, police had recovered two other firearms, also in Tafelsig.
Around 8am that day, during a stop-and-search operation, they arrested a 33-year-old man who was found in possession of a Smith and Wesson Springfield gas gun and a knife, in Hexrivier Road.
Later, at 9.30am, they arrested a 19-year-old man who had a firearm, with the serial number filed off, and five live rounds of ammunition on him. This happened in Mountain Road after police had received information about a shooting there.
On Friday September 29, at 4.30pm, three men aged 22, 21 and 18 were arrested at Portland sports field, for being in possession of a black CCP firearm with magazine and eight live rounds.
When the police approached the suspects, they moved away and then the police requested to search them.
The police saw a toiletry bag where the suspects were standing, searched it and found the firearm.
The previous day, Friday September 29, police had arrested a 32-year-old man for possession of a firearm and ammunition, in Madison Street, Beacon Valley.
On Saturday September 30, the body of a man in his forties, was found between the rocks at Wolfgat Nature Reserve, tied with a towing rope.
The man was dressed in a black jeans and a blue and white striped golf T-shirt and appeared to have been stabbed multiple times. Police need help identifying him.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the investigating officer in the Mitchells Plain Seroius and Violent Crime Unit at 082 777 8076.
