Police seize 17 firearms, arrest several suspects in Nelson Mandela Bay
Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said a 25-year-old man arrested on Monday.
'SAPS Kamesh police members heard gunshots while on foot patrol and moved swiftly towards the disturbance,' she said.
'The members noticed two males coming from Kamesh Road.
'When they noticed the SAPS members, they threw away the firearms and ran off.
'The officers arrested one suspect and found two firearms in Acacia Road, Rosedale.'
She said the suspect had been arrested on charges of possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
It was too early to determine if the recovered firearms were linked to the murder of sisters Theresa Pullen and Fredericka Booysen in Tiryville last week, she said.
In an unrelated incident the day before, a suspect was arrested by the district crime combating unit.
'While patrolling in NU6 Motherwell the members noticed a silver VW Polo next to the road,' she said.
'A known suspect walked towards the vehicle and when he noticed the SAPS members, he jumped into it and sped off.
'The suspect was driving recklessly and bumped into the SAPS vehicle.
'The suspect stopped the car and tried to run away, but was apprehended.
'During a search, police members found a Star 9mm pistol with the serial number filed off and eight rounds of ammunition.
'The suspect, 34 years old, was arrested on charges of unlawful possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition.'
He will appear in the Motherwell Magistrate's Court during the week.
On July 1, 14 firearms were recovered during a crime prevention operation and sent to ballistics for analysis.
The Herald
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Far too often victims of crime and women and children in particular, regretfully fall through the cracks of an overburdened criminal justice system when it comes to post-trial attention and ongoing counselling. We were gratified to be informed through the diligence of counsel for the State, that the complainant had received some counselling. '(The woman) of her own volition, expressed to the court that she hoped that this matter may help other victims of gender-based violence and rape, as she wished her story and experience to be heard. To the extent that we have taken this unusual approach to the matter, we hope that this judgment sends out a strong message that rape and gratuitous violence of the nature that the complainant faced, as do so many other women and children, are not taken lightly by the courts,' said Judge Pangarker. 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