Two foreign nationals(33 and 37) from Samora Machel were arrested for possession of prohibited firearms on Saturday, 21 February, after police discovered two firearms with ammunition in their spaza shop on Tsimani Street.
Illegal firearms in Samora Machel discovered during intelligence-driven search
Provincial police spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala said members of Operation Lockdown III conducted a search following intelligence about firearms allegedly concealed at the address.
“They found two foreign nationals at the premises and, during the search, officers recovered one 9mm pistol with eight rounds of ammunition and one CZ 75 Beretta handgun with 10 rounds of ammunition. Both firearms had no serial numbers,” said Gwala. He added that the suspects are expected to make their first court appearance on Monday, 23 February, at the Athlone Magistrate’s Court.
Residents call for continued police operations in crime-hit area
A community member, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, described Samora Machel as one of the more dangerous areas, saying crime is rife in the community.
“We support the officers for what they are doing. We want them to continue searching other spaza shops. It is clear that some shop owners also possess illegal firearms,” she said.
She identified substance abuse, murder, and gender-based violence as some of the criminal activities prevalent in the area. She also highlighted extortion-related incidents as occurring from time to time.
