HUMANSDORP – A 27-year-old suspect has been arrested and an unlicensed firearm and ammunition recovered during an anti-gang patrol operation in Humansdorp on 12 July.

According to police spokesperson Captain Marius McCarthy, Operation Karabo, an anti-gang patrol initiative conducted by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in Humansdorp, led to officers spotting two suspicious men during a patrol.

He said the suspects fled on foot upon being approached.

McCarthy said officers gave chase and cornered one suspect inside a nearby shack.

“A subsequent search of the premises led to the recovery of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition,” said McCarthy.

He said a 27-year-old suspect was arrested on the spot for possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, and the firearm and ammunition were seized.

McCarthy said the suspect is due to appear before the Humansdorp Magistrate’s Court soon.

The Sarah Baartman District Commissioner, Major General Thandiswa Kupiso, praised the alertness of the operational members.

“The proliferation of illegal firearms remains a severe threat to the public’s safety, especially in our gang-compromised communities. I commend the members for their vigilance and tactical response during this foot pursuit. This recovery sends a clear warning to criminal syndicates that our forces will aggressively dismantle their networks and squeeze their operating space,” said Kupiso.

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