BLOEMFONTEIN – Two suspected gunrunners are expected to reappear in the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court, charged with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
The case against Petrus Makalani (41) and Tebello Patrick Pitso (33) was provisionally withdrawn as part of further investigations by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team.
Lt Col. Zweli Mohobeleli, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, said the court has reopened the matter and ordered the suspects’ re-arrest.
“The case was withdrawn due to an outstanding forensic report. However, the court placed the case against the two men back on the roll, who were arrested for allegedly selling ammunition in Virginia in September 2019. They were served with summons to appear in court on 18 August regarding illegal possession of ammunition,” he said.
Mohobeleli said the suspected gun runners were arrested by the Welkom Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation detectives in 2019, after receiving an alert about two men who were selling pistol and rifle ammunition.
“A police operation was conducted which resulted in the arrest of Makalani and Pitso,” said Mohobeleli.
