{"id":297511,"date":"2026-06-03T08:31:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T06:31:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/?p=297511"},"modified":"2026-06-03T08:33:59","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T06:33:59","slug":"man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/","title":{"rendered":"Man arrested with stolen firearm near Lesotho border"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>FICKSBURG \u2013 A man (25) is expected to appear in the Ficksburg Magistrate&#8217;s Court after being arrested near the Lesotho border with a firearm reported stolen in Gauteng.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The arrest was made on Monday, 1 June, during a routine patrol by border guards deployed at the Ficksburg Port of Entry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring said two officers on motorcycle patrol noticed two men behaving suspiciously while moving through veld near the border at about 12:20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the officers approached the pair for questioning, both men fled on foot, triggering a pursuit across the border area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The officers gave chase on their motorcycles and apprehended one of the suspects. A search of the man led to the discovery of a 9mm pistol and ammunition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Investigations revealed that the firearm had been reported stolen in Nigel, Gauteng, in November last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The suspect, described as an undocumented foreign national, was arrested and taken into custody. He faces charges relating to the possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, as well as contravening immigration legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second suspect evaded arrest. Police have not indicated whether a search operation is under way to locate him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A man (25) is expected to appear in the Ficksburg Magistrate&#8217;s Court after being arrested near the Lesotho border with a firearm reported stolen in Gauteng.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":297512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"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_novanewscozamthathaexpress":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_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_eb_attr":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_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":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"author_byline":"","competition_end_date":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","language_version_url":"","post_language":"en","video_embed_url":"","scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[7911,8959,7874],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-297511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-crime","tag-ficksburg-magistrates-court","tag-local-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Man arrested with stolen firearm near Lesotho border | VrystaatKroon<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A man (25) faces charges after being arrested near the Ficksburg border with a 9mm pistol reported stolen in Gauteng. The undocumented foreign national will appear in court.\" \/>\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\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Man arrested with stolen firearm near Lesotho border\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A man (25) faces charges after being arrested near the Ficksburg border with a 9mm pistol reported stolen in Gauteng. The undocumented foreign national will appear in court.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"VrystaatKroon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VrystaatKroon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-03T06:31:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-03T06:33:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Crime.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1187\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"558\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Inge Strydom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Inge Strydom\" \/>\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\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Inge Strydom\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f63110507b5cf42b067559a62fdede19\"},\"headline\":\"Man arrested with stolen firearm near Lesotho border\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-03T06:31:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-03T06:33:59+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":198,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Crime.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Crime\",\"Ficksburg Magistrates' Court\",\"Local News\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\\\/\",\"name\":\"Man arrested with stolen firearm near Lesotho border | VrystaatKroon\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Crime.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-03T06:31:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-03T06:33:59+00:00\",\"description\":\"A man (25) faces charges after being arrested near the Ficksburg border with a 9mm pistol reported stolen in Gauteng. The undocumented foreign national will appear in court.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Crime.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Crime.png\",\"width\":1187,\"height\":558,\"caption\":\"A man (25) is expected to appear in the Ficksburg Magistrate's Court after being arrested near the Lesotho border with a firearm reported stolen in Gauteng\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Man arrested with stolen firearm near Lesotho border\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/\",\"name\":\"VrystaatKroon\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"VrystaatKroon\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/vrystaad-kroon-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/vrystaad-kroon-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"VrystaatKroon\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/VrystaatKroon\\\/\"],\"description\":\"VrystaatKroon is a local community newspaper serving the Eastern and Northern Free State regions of South Africa. It covers a wide range of topics, including local news, events, and issues affecting the community. The newspaper aims to keep residents informed and connected, fostering a sense of unity and engagement in the area. VrystaatKroon has loyal readers who look forward to receiving the newspaper in their mailboxes twice a month on a Wednesday \u2013 free of charge. is a local community newspaper serving the Eastern and Northern Free State regions of South Africa. It covers a wide range of topics, including local news, events, and issues affecting the community. The newspaper aims to keep residents informed and connected, fostering a sense of unity and engagement in the area.\",\"email\":\"vrystaatkroon@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"+27514047600\",\"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\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f63110507b5cf42b067559a62fdede19\",\"name\":\"Inge Strydom\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/a2ff44a6c334603ae2b2a584437ef34134f78fc19c1f6e55d5993778d53699f5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/a2ff44a6c334603ae2b2a584437ef34134f78fc19c1f6e55d5993778d53699f5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/a2ff44a6c334603ae2b2a584437ef34134f78fc19c1f6e55d5993778d53699f5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Inge Strydom\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vrystaatkroon\\\/author\\\/inge-strydom\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Man arrested with stolen firearm near Lesotho border | VrystaatKroon","description":"A man (25) faces charges after being arrested near the Ficksburg border with a 9mm pistol reported stolen in Gauteng. The undocumented foreign national will appear in court.","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\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Man arrested with stolen firearm near Lesotho border","og_description":"A man (25) faces charges after being arrested near the Ficksburg border with a 9mm pistol reported stolen in Gauteng. The undocumented foreign national will appear in court.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/","og_site_name":"VrystaatKroon","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VrystaatKroon\/","article_published_time":"2026-06-03T06:31:42+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-06-03T06:33:59+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1187,"height":558,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Crime.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Inge Strydom","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Inge Strydom","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/"},"author":{"name":"Inge Strydom","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#\/schema\/person\/f63110507b5cf42b067559a62fdede19"},"headline":"Man arrested with stolen firearm near Lesotho border","datePublished":"2026-06-03T06:31:42+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-03T06:33:59+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/"},"wordCount":198,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Crime.png","keywords":["Crime","Ficksburg Magistrates' Court","Local News"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/","name":"Man arrested with stolen firearm near Lesotho border | VrystaatKroon","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Crime.png","datePublished":"2026-06-03T06:31:42+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-03T06:33:59+00:00","description":"A man (25) faces charges after being arrested near the Ficksburg border with a 9mm pistol reported stolen in Gauteng. The undocumented foreign national will appear in court.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Crime.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Crime.png","width":1187,"height":558,"caption":"A man (25) is expected to appear in the Ficksburg Magistrate's Court after being arrested near the Lesotho border with a firearm reported stolen in Gauteng"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/man-arrested-with-stolen-firearm-near-lesotho-border-ficksburg\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Man arrested with stolen firearm near Lesotho border"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/","name":"VrystaatKroon","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#organization","name":"VrystaatKroon","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/vrystaad-kroon-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/vrystaad-kroon-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"VrystaatKroon"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VrystaatKroon\/"],"description":"VrystaatKroon is a local community newspaper serving the Eastern and Northern Free State regions of South Africa. It covers a wide range of topics, including local news, events, and issues affecting the community. The newspaper aims to keep residents informed and connected, fostering a sense of unity and engagement in the area. VrystaatKroon has loyal readers who look forward to receiving the newspaper in their mailboxes twice a month on a Wednesday \u2013 free of charge. is a local community newspaper serving the Eastern and Northern Free State regions of South Africa. It covers a wide range of topics, including local news, events, and issues affecting the community. The newspaper aims to keep residents informed and connected, fostering a sense of unity and engagement in the area.","email":"vrystaatkroon@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"+27514047600","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\/vrystaatkroon\/#\/schema\/person\/f63110507b5cf42b067559a62fdede19","name":"Inge Strydom","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a2ff44a6c334603ae2b2a584437ef34134f78fc19c1f6e55d5993778d53699f5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a2ff44a6c334603ae2b2a584437ef34134f78fc19c1f6e55d5993778d53699f5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a2ff44a6c334603ae2b2a584437ef34134f78fc19c1f6e55d5993778d53699f5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Inge Strydom"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/author\/inge-strydom\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Crime.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":297294,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/a-man-25-from-mpumalanga-has-been-arrested-in-ficksburg-after-police-discovered-two-illegal-firearms-and-33-rounds-of-ammunition-during-a-patrol-operation\/","url_meta":{"origin":297511,"position":0},"title":"Mpumalanga man arrested in Ficksburg with illegal firearms","author":"VrystaatKroon","date":"20 May 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A man (25) from Mpumalanga has been arrested in Ficksburg after police discovered two illegal firearms and 33 rounds of ammunition during a patrol operation.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Crime-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Crime-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Crime-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Crime-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Crime-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":295383,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/man-caught-with-rhino-horns-diamonds-and-gold-in-ficksburg\/","url_meta":{"origin":297511,"position":1},"title":"Man caught with rhino horns, diamonds and gold in Ficksburg","author":"VrystaatKroon","date":"21 January 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Patrol by Ficksburg police has resulted in a major bust involving suspected rhino horns, unpolished diamonds, and gold, highlighting ongoing wildlife trafficking concerns in the Free State.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Ficksburg police intercepted a vehicle and uncovered a suspicious parcel with rhino horns, unpolished diamonds and gold. PHOTO: Supplied","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/A-routine-crime-prevention-operation-in-Ficksburg-led-to-the-discovery-of-a-significant-haul-of-suspected-illegal-goods-includi.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/A-routine-crime-prevention-operation-in-Ficksburg-led-to-the-discovery-of-a-significant-haul-of-suspected-illegal-goods-includi.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/A-routine-crime-prevention-operation-in-Ficksburg-led-to-the-discovery-of-a-significant-haul-of-suspected-illegal-goods-includi.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/A-routine-crime-prevention-operation-in-Ficksburg-led-to-the-discovery-of-a-significant-haul-of-suspected-illegal-goods-includi.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/A-routine-crime-prevention-operation-in-Ficksburg-led-to-the-discovery-of-a-significant-haul-of-suspected-illegal-goods-includi.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/A-routine-crime-prevention-operation-in-Ficksburg-led-to-the-discovery-of-a-significant-haul-of-suspected-illegal-goods-includi.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"VrystaatKroon","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=297511"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297511\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":297513,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297511\/revisions\/297513"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/297512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=297511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=297511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=297511"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=297511"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=297511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}