Maputo — The Mozambican Police (PRM) on Wednesday detained a man for attempting to sell guns on the outskirts of Pemba, the capital of the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

According to Aniceto Magome, the police spokesperson in Pemba, cited in Monday's issue of the independent newsheet "Carta de Moçambique', the man was caught when he was trying to sell two pistols.

It is believed that the man might be related to Islamist terrorists who have been carrying out extreme violence in some parts of Cabo Delgado.

"We received information about an individual who intended to sell pistols in Pemba. Thanks to the work of our operational team, we managed to neutralize him. The pistols were immediately seized', said Magome.

According to the spokesperson, the arrested man (whose name has not yet been releasaed) said that the weapons, which were purchased in South Africa, were to be sold to a private security company "but what concerns us most is that they are nine mm weapons, which are intended for the exclusive use of the Mozambican Defence and SecurityForces (FDS).'

For his part, the arrested man confessed his involvement in the case.

"Yes, I confirm that I was found with two handguns', he admitted. "The aim was to sell them to a security company. I acquired the guns through a friend who lives in Maputo and who asked me to find a client. I was negotiating the sale for around 20,000 rands (about 1,600 US dollars at the current exchange rate). I regret it, because I had never been involved in anything like this before. If I could go back, I wouldn't have done it.'