Police members mandate to create a safe and secure environment in all communities yielded positive results when they arrested several suspects in the Western Cape.
On Saturday, 2023-05-20, members attached to the Anti-Gang Unit Combat Team performed crime prevention duties in Hanover Park area when they received information about firearms which are being stored at a premises in Silica Walk, Hanover Park. The members immediately operationalised the information and upon searching the premises, found a pistol with ten rounds of ammunition, buried under a vibracrete slab in the front yard. Subsequently, a 20-year-old man was arrested for possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. He will appear in the Athlone Magistrates court on Monday.
The members also conducted a tracing operation and arrested two wanted suspects in a Philippi murder case. The suspects, 20 and 21-year-old, are believed to be affiliated to a gang grouping in Hanover Park. They are due to appear in the Athlone Magistrate's Court on Monday on the mentioned charge.
In an unrelated matter, on Saturday, 20 May 2023 at 07:30 a 34-year-old male was arrested for the possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition. This follows increased integrated deployment following the murder of a 35-year-old man in Olga court Manenberg. Metro police members deployed in the hotspot area spotted the suspect in Thames Avenue. As they approached the suspect the community tried to distract the officers so that the suspect could evade arrest. However, they cornered the suspect and found a pistol with nine rounds of ammunition in his possession. He will appear in the Athlone Magistrate court on Monday.
Meanwhile, members attached to Flying Squad were patrolling the Manenberg Policing precinct and followed up information of a possible stolen motor vehicle. As they patrolled Jupiter Road, Surrey Estate. They spotted the Silver Picanto. The vehicle was checked and found to have been hijacked in the Athlone area. Three suspects, two men aged 28 and 31 and a 32-year-old woman were arrested and will be appearing in the Athlone Magistrates court for the possession of stolen property.
Members of Rural Flying Squad had a vehicle check point at Dwarskersbos in the West Coast when they saw a suspicious looking driver in a LDV whilst he approaching the check point. The members immediately stopped and searched the vehicle and occupant. They found mandrax and tik with an estimated street value of R310 000.00, concealed inside the vehicle. A 43-year-old man was arrested for possession/dealing in drugs. He will appear in the Laaiplek Magistrates court on Monday on the mentioned charges.
On the same day at about 14:30 members of the City of Cape Town Law Enforcement patrolled along Spine Road in the Lingelethu-West area when they observed a vehicle that was blocking the traffic flow. The members requested the driver of the VW Golf to remove his vehicle to allow traffic to flow. However, the driver of the VW Golf became confrontational and refused to budge. At this stage members of Operation Lockdown 2, who was also in the traffic hold-up noticed this incident and came to assist the law enforcement officers. The driver of the VW Golf then moved his vehicle but remained defiant and verbally abusive. The SAPS members stopped and searched the Golf and retrieved a Glock 19 resembling pistol and magazine (blank pistol) tucked away in the driver side door. The pistol resembled and was placed in such a manner that it depicted a real firearm. The area where the incident took place has become a known crime hotspot where several serious and violent crimes were committed. It was established that the suspect was also a City Law Enforcement officer who was attached to the Rapid Response Unit, based in Ottery.
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The 27-year-old suspect was detained for the possession of an imitation firearm and will appear in the Khayelitsha Magistrate's Court once charged.
