A gun dealer from Middelburg, Mpumalanga, faces charges under the Firearms Control Act after police discovered 537 licensed firearms and ammunition stored at an unlicensed facility outside eMalahleni this week.
The South African Police Service arrested the dealer (55) as part of Operation Buyisa, a nationwide compliance operation that saw police inspect 3 728 business premises including gun dealers and security companies.
The National Tracking and Tracing Task Team launched the investigation after receiving information about a security company allegedly operating in Middelburg with expired firearm licences.
Police interviewed the gun dealer, who reportedly stored firearms for the security company. The dealer directed officers to a plot outside eMalahleni where they seized the weapons and ammunition.
According to police, a preliminary report suggests the dealer had run out of storage space at his registered business premises and used the unauthorised facility instead.
Whilst the seized firearms and ammunition were all licensed, their storage in an unlicensed facility constitutes a violation of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000.
The Firearms Control Act requires all firearms to be stored in approved facilities and mandates strict compliance measures for businesses dealing with weapons and ammunition.
The suspect is expected to appear in court soon. Police have not yet released details about whether additional arrests are expected in connection with the security company.
Operation Buyisa forms part of SAPS’s ongoing efforts to ensure compliance with firearms legislation and prevent the illegal circulation of weapons.
