The South African Police Services (SAPS) have seized more than 200 firearms from a private security company operating across several provinces after uncovering major violations of the Firearms Control Act.
The National Tracking and Tracing Task Team, operating under Operation Buyisa, confiscated 226 firearms this week following an intelligence-led investigation into the company, which allegedly failed to comply with strict licensing and storage requirements.
According to police, the company not only contravened provisions of the Firearms Control Act, but also may have been renting out weapons to third parties, a direct breach of the law.
“Licence holders have clear responsibilities when it comes to the safe storage, authorisation, and accountability of their firearms. Non-compliance is a criminal offence,” police said in a statement.
The bulk of the firearms, 204 company-owned weapons, were seized from the business’s Krugersdorp premises, where police also discovered two unlicensed firearms. The company’s responsible officer was arrested.
Other seizures included:
-
Lephalale, Limpopo: One rifle recovered from an unauthorised individual.
-
Booysens, Gauteng: Three firearms were found in the possession of another security company.
-
Makhado, Limpopo: Eleven firearms stored unlawfully; another firearm with ammunition and spent cartridges abandoned in an open field.
-
Dirkiesdorp, Mpumalanga: Five firearms were seized after guards allegedly pointed and discharged them in public.
-
Randburg, Gauteng: A firearm linked to the 2016 attempted murder of police officers.
Hundreds are still unaccounted for
Police confirmed that 377 firearms registered under the company’s name remain unaccounted for, and a Section 106 notice has been issued, compelling the company to produce them.
Investigators also found that the company had been operating under multiple trading names and provided incorrect storage addresses.
Some of the confiscated firearms have already been linked to serious crimes, including cash-in-transit heists, attempted murder of police officers, and armed business robberies.
All the seized weapons will undergo forensic ballistic testing through the Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS).
IOL NEWS
