{"id":47983,"date":"2023-02-02T07:00:28","date_gmt":"2023-02-02T05:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/"},"modified":"2025-03-21T00:15:50","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T22:15:50","slug":"mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/","title":{"rendered":"Mbizana police nab two suspects in possession of 11 illegal firearms, ammunition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Eastern Cape police commissioner, Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene has applauded the excellent and outstanding work executed by the Tactical Response Team (TRT) members deployed in the Alfred Nzo District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This comes after the police team recovered 11 firearms, ammunition and other suspected stolen property on Tuesday, January 31. It is alleged that on the mentioned date, between 05:00 and 17:00, the members were busy conducting an operation to combat crime in the Mbizana area when they received and acted on information about firearms at a house within the locality.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe house was searched, and a couple was arrested. A total of 11 firearms; which included four shotguns, four 9mm pistols, three revolvers, 460 rounds of various calibre ammunition, two hand radios, 10 magazines, police uniforms, 104 sachets of crystal meth as well as other suspected stolen property were seized from the house,\u201d said police spokesperson, Colonel Priscilla Naidu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Naidu said that the police arrested a 44-year-old male and a 40-year-old female on charges of illegal possession of firearms, possession of prohibited firearms, illegal possession of ammunition, possession of State property, dealing in drugs and possession of suspected stolen property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis success shows that our operational members are dedicated and committed to their work as these illegal firearms are being used to commit serious and violent crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur mandate is that of fighting crime, hence we will work tirelessly towards realising this goal and criminals must know that their hideouts are only temporary, and we will not waver in our mission to wage a war against crime,\u201d said Mene.&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The suspects appeared in court today, February 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div contenteditable=\"false\" data-embed24=\"Images\" data-pos=\"middle\" id=\"embed_4b5e1463\">\n<div class=\"slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Mbizana police nab two suspects in possession of 1\" data-smallsrc=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/987\/2a941b9036db4c06bf7bf20236211fd3.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/4e77e525d41e4a1ba800031f0edf2fb9.jpg\" title=\"A total of 11 firearms; which included four shotguns, four 9mm pistols, three revolvers, 460 rounds of various calibre ammunition, two hand radios, 10 magazines, police uniforms, 104 sachets of crystal meth as well as other suspected stolen property were seized from the house.\"><p><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\">A total of 11 firearms; which included four shotguns, four 9mm pistols, three revolvers, 460 rounds of various calibre ammunition, two hand radios, 10 magazines, police uniforms, 104 sachets of crystal meth as well as other suspected stolen property were seized from the house.<\/div>\n<div class=\"img_accreditation\"><span class=\"source\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><span class=\"photographer\" style=\"display:none;\">Photos: Supplied<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Mbizana police nab two suspects in possession of 1\" data-smallsrc=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/989\/3be68ea44b5447fc9076987983b424e2.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/a36050d73d1b45bbaa49a9d998411cd5.jpg\" title=\"\"><\/figure><div class=\"slide\"><p><\/p>\n<div class=\"img_accreditation\"><span class=\"source\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><span class=\"photographer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-issued-by-saps\"><strong>ISSUED BY SAPS<\/strong><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eastern Cape police commissioner, Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene has applauded the excellent and outstanding work executed by the Tactical Response Team (TRT) members deployed in the Alfred Nzo District.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":47989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"686027db-44f9-4225-a38b-aa029a7e302f","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"Compiled by Luvo Cakata","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-47983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mbizana police nab two suspects in possession of 11 illegal firearms, ammunition | Mthatha Express<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mbizana police nab two suspects in possession of 11 illegal firearms, ammunition\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Eastern Cape police commissioner, Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene has applauded the excellent and outstanding work executed by the Tactical Response Team (TRT) members deployed in the Alfred Nzo District.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mthatha Express\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MthathaExpress\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-02-02T05:00:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-20T22:15:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20d49cf7c00f422db45ae4fe4fe0e5a2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"598\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"378\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Compiled by Luvo Cakata\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@EP_Media24\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@EP_Media24\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mthatha Express\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mthatha Express\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7e2772c1748d510e0433368691b50bb1\"},\"headline\":\"Mbizana police nab two suspects in possession of 11 illegal firearms, ammunition\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-02T05:00:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-20T22:15:50+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":316,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/20d49cf7c00f422db45ae4fe4fe0e5a2.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2023\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\\\/\",\"name\":\"Mbizana police nab two suspects in possession of 11 illegal firearms, ammunition | Mthatha Express\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/20d49cf7c00f422db45ae4fe4fe0e5a2.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-02T05:00:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-20T22:15:50+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/20d49cf7c00f422db45ae4fe4fe0e5a2.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/20d49cf7c00f422db45ae4fe4fe0e5a2.jpg\",\"width\":598,\"height\":378,\"caption\":\"\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Mbizana police nab two suspects in possession of 11 illegal firearms, ammunition\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/\",\"name\":\"Mthatha Express\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Mthatha Express\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/mthatha-express-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/mthatha-express-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Mthatha Express\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/MthathaExpress\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/EP_Media24\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/express_newspapers\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@expressonline3000\"],\"description\":\"Mthatha Express has been the eyes, ears, and voice of Mthatha and surrounding towns and villages for almost a decade. Established with the goal of keeping our community informed, we have grown into one of the most trusted local news sources in the region, with 70,000 free copies delivered across the former Transkei area every week. It is also distributed once a month in East London.\",\"email\":\"mthathaexpress@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"+27472932973\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7e2772c1748d510e0433368691b50bb1\",\"name\":\"Mthatha Express\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/16bf7f093f8719629b4d16068cd9ee79b087e706ae5cedc7dd95db655da066a3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/16bf7f093f8719629b4d16068cd9ee79b087e706ae5cedc7dd95db655da066a3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/16bf7f093f8719629b4d16068cd9ee79b087e706ae5cedc7dd95db655da066a3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Mthatha Express\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/author\\\/mthathaexpress\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Mbizana police nab two suspects in possession of 11 illegal firearms, ammunition | Mthatha Express","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Mbizana police nab two suspects in possession of 11 illegal firearms, ammunition","og_description":"Eastern Cape police commissioner, Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene has applauded the excellent and outstanding work executed by the Tactical Response Team (TRT) members deployed in the Alfred Nzo District.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/","og_site_name":"Mthatha Express","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MthathaExpress\/","article_published_time":"2023-02-02T05:00:28+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-20T22:15:50+00:00","og_image":[{"width":598,"height":378,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20d49cf7c00f422db45ae4fe4fe0e5a2.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Compiled by Luvo Cakata","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@EP_Media24","twitter_site":"@EP_Media24","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Mthatha Express","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/"},"author":{"name":"Mthatha Express","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/7e2772c1748d510e0433368691b50bb1"},"headline":"Mbizana police nab two suspects in possession of 11 illegal firearms, ammunition","datePublished":"2023-02-02T05:00:28+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-20T22:15:50+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/"},"wordCount":316,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20d49cf7c00f422db45ae4fe4fe0e5a2.jpg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2023","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/","name":"Mbizana police nab two suspects in possession of 11 illegal firearms, ammunition | Mthatha Express","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20d49cf7c00f422db45ae4fe4fe0e5a2.jpg","datePublished":"2023-02-02T05:00:28+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-20T22:15:50+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20d49cf7c00f422db45ae4fe4fe0e5a2.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20d49cf7c00f422db45ae4fe4fe0e5a2.jpg","width":598,"height":378,"caption":""},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/mbizana-police-nab-two-suspects-in-possession-of-11-illegal-firearms-ammunition-20230201\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Mbizana police nab two suspects in possession of 11 illegal firearms, ammunition"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/","name":"Mthatha Express","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/#organization","name":"Mthatha Express","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/mthatha-express-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/mthatha-express-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Mthatha Express"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MthathaExpress\/","https:\/\/x.com\/EP_Media24","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/express_newspapers\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@expressonline3000"],"description":"Mthatha Express has been the eyes, ears, and voice of Mthatha and surrounding towns and villages for almost a decade. Established with the goal of keeping our community informed, we have grown into one of the most trusted local news sources in the region, with 70,000 free copies delivered across the former Transkei area every week. It is also distributed once a month in East London.","email":"mthathaexpress@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"+27472932973","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/7e2772c1748d510e0433368691b50bb1","name":"Mthatha Express","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16bf7f093f8719629b4d16068cd9ee79b087e706ae5cedc7dd95db655da066a3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16bf7f093f8719629b4d16068cd9ee79b087e706ae5cedc7dd95db655da066a3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16bf7f093f8719629b4d16068cd9ee79b087e706ae5cedc7dd95db655da066a3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Mthatha Express"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/author\/mthathaexpress\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/20d49cf7c00f422db45ae4fe4fe0e5a2.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":48167,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/police-arrest-four-for-illegal-firearms-and-ammunition-20221129\/","url_meta":{"origin":47983,"position":0},"title":"Police arrest four for illegal firearms and ammunition","author":"Mthatha Express","date":"29 November 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A joint operation by South African Police Service tactical response team (TRT), Public Order Policing (POP) and organised crime yielded positive results following the arrest of four suspects for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/e24a5eaa3bce4d0bb0164ef85b494903.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/e24a5eaa3bce4d0bb0164ef85b494903.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/e24a5eaa3bce4d0bb0164ef85b494903.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/e24a5eaa3bce4d0bb0164ef85b494903.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48311,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/qumbu-police-arrest-three-for-unlicensed-firearms-and-ammunition-20221031\/","url_meta":{"origin":47983,"position":1},"title":"Qumbu police arrest three for unlicensed firearms and ammunition","author":"Mthatha Express","date":"31 October 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Qumbu police have arrested three suspects aged between 34 and 40 for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/103194636a01475d89fc0a2dd630c8a7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":49600,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/police-arrest-eight-armed-robbers-moments-after-business-robbery-20220511\/","url_meta":{"origin":47983,"position":2},"title":"Police arrest eight armed robbers moments after business robbery","author":"Mthatha Express","date":"11 May 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Eight men were arrested and five firearms recovered within hours of a business robbery in Mbizana.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/f7fd80167c9c4052a5c5353062f5df85.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/f7fd80167c9c4052a5c5353062f5df85.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/f7fd80167c9c4052a5c5353062f5df85.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/f7fd80167c9c4052a5c5353062f5df85.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":295281,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/two-elderly-men-arrested-for-unlicensed-firearms-in-mthatha\/","url_meta":{"origin":47983,"position":3},"title":"Two elderly men arrested for unlicensed firearms in Mthatha","author":"Mthatha Express","date":"30 January 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Two elderly men, aged 67 and 74, were arrested in Mthatha for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition during coordinated police early morning raids today.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The firearms confiscated by SAPS.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-30-at-14.51.50-e1769784056593.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-30-at-14.51.50-e1769784056593.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-30-at-14.51.50-e1769784056593.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-30-at-14.51.50-e1769784056593.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-30-at-14.51.50-e1769784056593.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-30-at-14.51.50-e1769784056593.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49117,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/suspects-arrested-for-possession-of-unlicensed-firearms-20220715\/","url_meta":{"origin":47983,"position":4},"title":"Suspects arrested for possession of unlicensed firearms","author":"Mthatha Express","date":"18 July 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Two suspects aged 32 and 47 from Xholingada locality in Willowvale have been arrested for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, thanks to the Tactical Response Unit (TRU).","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/44d0bb9142db4a5faf0694ca6ec38307.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":49726,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/seven-men-nabbed-during-operation-sikhona-in-lusikisiki-illegal-firearms-seized-20220421\/","url_meta":{"origin":47983,"position":5},"title":"Seven men nabbed during Operation Sikhona in Lusikisiki, illegal firearms seized","author":"Mthatha Express","date":"21 April 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Lusikisiki police have arrested seven suspects, including a 72-year-old man, for possession of unlicensed firearms, ammunition and illicit drugs.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e38bc0fa879749239d6c05fbf28dca25.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e38bc0fa879749239d6c05fbf28dca25.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e38bc0fa879749239d6c05fbf28dca25.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e38bc0fa879749239d6c05fbf28dca25.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Mthatha Express","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47983"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47983\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47983"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=47983"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=47983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}